It’s not easy being a mom.
I’ll say it again for the folks in the back: IT’S. NOT. EASY. BEING. A. MOM.
It starts with pregnancy — morning sickness, aches and pains, a near-nonstop emotional whirlwind. Then, the actual birth… holy moly! Your cherub arrives and although you’re happier than ever, you're adjusting, majorly — broken sleep, engorged breasts, healing lady bits. Baby blues, sometimes more, cycle through, and somewhere in there you kind of hit a stride, and yet you question everything. Because it’s all so new.
Even with subsequent children, they’re their own person and such a whole new adventure, a whole new learning curve. Couple that with caring for older siblings who may or may not be embracing the vibe of a new baby and it’s a never-ending circus. Truly, it’s one thing after another. Until the elementary years. And then the teen years. And still, to this day, my own mom shares her never-ending worries about my siblings and me.
Once a mom, forever a mom. All the good. All the hard. All the in-between.
But here’s the good news: You were made for this. Uniquely, perfectly chosen to be the mom to your children. No one else could fill your shoes. No one else can mother like you.
Let that settle in. Believe it to your core.
You are the best mom for your child.
On hard days, in difficult seasons, it might seem like a trade-in would do your kids a world of wonder. But, no. That’s one of those judgemental lies. Perhaps you could have done better, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t still the best.
Maybe you yelled – been there, done that. Apologize. Be human. Teach your children that mistakes happen and course-correct. Don’t ever be afraid to say, “I’m sorry.” It won’t encourage them to treat you like a doormat. Rather, it will give them a beautiful example of how missteps in life can lead to resolution with the right words and actions.
Maybe you aren’t prioritizing well — I’m so at fault here. Cut the crap. Focus your life on what really matters and let the rest fall away — social media, gourmet meals, matching socks. Make peanut butter and jelly and sit together. Talk. Look into those precious eyes and listen.
You can rise to the occasion and give your kids exactly what they need.
And it doesn’t cost a dime.
It takes commitment. It takes effort. It takes a lifelong attitude of learning. But it’s all free. And it’s all in you.
You were made for this. Called to this. Embrace motherhood. Make it your own and define — for you and your family – what real motherhood looks like. Not the picture the internet paints, not the mom next door, but the one YOU were called to be. The best. Exactly what they need. Exactly who you are.
You know your kids better than anyone. You have from day one. Actually, before day one! As they grew in you, in your heart, you grew too. From a woman into a mother. Their mother. The best version of a mom they could ever wish for.
