Happy Mother’s Day: I get it now, Mom

It’s a few days from Mother’s Day and we’re all thinking of ways to celebrate our moms and show them how much we love them. And while gifts are nice (I would never say no to jewelry or any of these gifts) there’s one tried and true way to honor our mothers, and it’s to simply thank them for everything they’ve done.

Growing up, there were things I didn’t always understand and I was pretty sure I never would. And perhaps, Mom, you thought just wait until you’re a mother.  Well, here I am, a mother myself, equipped with a whole new understanding that comes along with raising a child, and I want to say, I get it now, Mom.

• I get what it’s like to be up all night with a sick child and wishing you could be the sick one instead.
• I get what it’s like to feel like you’re giving your all and it’s never enough. To be so frustrated at your baby’s incessant crying and just start crying yourself.
• I get how it feels to lose your temper, say a sharp word, raise your voice and immediately regret it and feel the mom guilt settle in and wish you had handled things differently.
• I get what it’s like to be consumed with worry about every little thing concerning your child. From closely watching the rise and fall of your baby’s chest to ensure they’re breathing to staying awake just to hear your teenager walk through the door at night. To have the realization that you will live every day for the rest of your life in fear for your child’s safety.
• I get what it’s like to briefly imagine your own child in every horrific news story you hear and feel your heart breaking for any mom that has to watch their child suffer.
• I get what it means to give of yourself fully, wholeheartedly, without thinking, to another being. To put yourself second and third and fourth. To give up that last cookie, piece of pizza, sip of water.
• But more than anything, I get what it’s like to feel the greatest love I’ve ever known. I understand what it’s like to kiss the sweetest, softest cheeks a million times and never feel like it’s enough. I know what it’s like to stare at your baby and her perfection and wonder how you got so lucky. I get what it means to feel the weight of your sleeping baby’s head on your shoulder and hear her deep breathing and knowing it could never, ever get any better than this.

Becoming a mom has given me a deeper appreciation and admiration for my own mother. I now recognize the sacrifices she made because I see everything anew through the lens of motherhood. I just want to thank you, Mom, for everything you’ve ever done for me. All I am and all I have is because of you and if I am half the mom to Livy as you are to me, then I know I’m doing something right.

Thank you all so much for reading and Happy {early} Mother’s Day!

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XO,

L