I honestly can’t imagine my life without my babies. I remember years ago (probably when I was still in high school) a good friend of mine asked me what would be three wishes I would want to happen if I was only given a year left to live. And although it sounds selfish, I knew back then just how deep my desire was to be a mother, and having a child was at the top of my list. And there are just some things you can be told until you’re blue in your face, but you will never understand until you become a mom.
Here are a just a few things I’ve learned:
Motherhood is a gift not to be taken for granted.
I know so many women who have either suffered multiple miscarriages or have not been blessed with the ability to have children of their own. Although my first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, I was very blessed to have been able to get pregnant easily and bring three healthy and beautiful children into the world. Unfortunately, everyone doesn’t get to receive the same blessing. So never for one minute do I take my children for granted because I know they are a gift that have been entrusted to me.
Sometimes you will cry for no reason.
Honestly, I did this before I became a mom. So motherhood brought it to a new level. As a mom, there’s not a lot of time to be tired, sick, frustrated, hurt, angry or anything else. We have to bounce back quicker than anyone else because this job doesn’t give us sick leave or vacation. Sometimes it’s just the overwhelming joy of being a mother, and sometimes it’s the fear of being a mother that brings the tears (the world is not what it was when we were growing up). And a lot of times, you’ll cry when you see other people’s children being hurt or mistreated because you couldn’t imagine that happening to your own child. But it’s okay because we were given these tears to used as needed. So I use mine on demand.
Motherhood makes you tough.
Before I became a mom, I was definitely a “softie” in some ways (hence the crying for no reason), always wanting to “keep the peace”. But when I became a mom, I definitely grew a level of tough skin I didn’t know was possible. There is nothing that I will hold my tongue about when it comes to my children. I may shed tears for no reason at times, but mess with my kids and it’s on and poppin’. But I’ve also realized that motherhood has propelled me to do the things that I fear because I want to set a good example for my kids.
Time is more precious than you thought.
All the money and time in the world could never replace the bond a mother has with her children. The saying “time flies” is so cliché, but so accurate when describing motherhood in general. I was just looking at photos from my first baby shower and remember every bit of it, and now my son is almost seven. My four-year-old has such a beautiful spirit and makes me laugh hysterically, and my two-year-old is having full conversations. I’m blown away every day by these little people and sometimes I wish I could just pause the time, press rewind and watch it all over again like a TV show.
Motherhood shines a new light on being “grateful for the little things”.
Evening prayer time with my little ones is always my favorite part of the day. Every night, my kids remind me of how blessed we truly are and how much we may take for granted without even realizing it. We take turns sharing what we’re thankful for that day and my two-year-old usually takes the longest. She thanks God for everything from the carpets, lights, bathrooms, dresses, shoes, her toothbrush and everything in between. Trust me, she doesn’t leave anything out. It’s a great reminder to me for all the things that I have to be grateful for.
This Mother’s Day, I couldn’t be more grateful to be celebrating with three of the most amazing children. And I wish the very best to all moms (biological or not.)
BMWK: What other things didn’t you know or understand until you became a mom?