A mother holds her daughter as she looks towards the camera

Motherhood Lessons

Mothering

Being a Mother is not about what you gave up to have a child, but what you’ve gained from having one.” ~unknown

Old houses work fine…so do used cars, second­-hand clothes, inexpensive foods like beans and lentils, dented tins, bruised apples and vacations in a tent. My babies taught me this. They taught me true perspective…things like:

  • nothing feels better than a warm little body snuggled close to mine
  • a belly full of mother’s milk is the perfect way for little ones to drift off to sleep, luxuriously, eyes fluttering closed, breath soft and warm, safe and secure in my arms
  • dirty laundry and sticky floors continue day after day after day
  • sleep is a luxury and every possibility for sleep, even a ten minute nap, should be embraced
  • my babies loved me unconditionally and more than anyone else in the world, even the unshowered, slipper­clad, nibbling on toast (again) version of me
  • authenticism…they taught me to be who I needed to be, not who someone else thought I should be

The list could go on and on. Our babies come to join us on our journey through life. They come to teach us and to refine us. They have life­-long messages to share. They patiently wait while we figure out what it is we need to know about them, about mothering, about relationships, priorities and the intensity of life itself.

Can you remember who you were before you were a mother? Does she seem like a vague memory? Someone you once knew? Some would say that’s the problem with motherhood…we lose who we once were…but not me…I’m glad she’s gone. I am the new me, a much better version of myself; filled with compassion, enthusiasm, forgiveness and insight. I see things from a mother’s perspective and have learned what determination and purpose truly mean. I have learned to cry from heartache, to laugh without restraint, to celebrate the simple beauty of life and to relish each new day.

My babies taught me this. I am grateful.

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