On this special Sunday in May, I am turning my attention to
my experiences of motherhood. From the
moment of realization that you are ‘with child’, until you draw your final
breath – a woman is forever a mother.
Motherhood is defined as the experience of having and raising a child.
Motherhood includes feeling a kaleidoscope of emotions
simultaneously – fear, joy, worry, angst, pride. It can also include being an advocate and a
revolutionary who empowers her children to engage in society in a meaningful, fun
and vibrant way. Motherhood also means
always giving up the biggest piece of cake and the last Popsicle.
Motherhood is leading by example when it comes to telling
right from wrong and showing your kids which battles are worth fighting. It’s encouraging your children to learn new
things and to give their best effort to accomplishing a task. And when the time comes, motherhood is
letting go of the reins to see where the children go on their own.
Motherhood is the realization that our children make us
laugh, bring out the teacher in us, and each child is a complete individual
with a unique personality, outlook, potential, talent. I choose to spend time in the presence of my
daughter because she is someone whom I love, respect, admire and laugh with –
she has such an infectious laugh!
I am forever grateful that God bestowed upon me the desire
of my heart to be a mother. The rewards
have by and large outweighed the challenges!
As
the quote from Elizabeth Stone goes, having a child “is to decide forever to
have your heart go walking around outside your
body.”
As Bill Murray’s character in Lost in Translation observes, “They learn how to walk and
they learn how to talk… and you want to be with them. And they turn out to be
the most delightful people you will ever meet in your life.”
