What it means to me:
To be a mother means sleepless nights and worrisome moments.
It means dirty, wrinkling, and disheveled dresses.
It means no makeup and the invention of messy buns.
It means skipped meals and sleeves covered in a dried combo of tears and snot.
It means Cheeto hand-printed pants, and dirty diapers stuffed in glove boxes.
or under car seats.
To be a mother means proud moments of catching vomit bare-handed.
in the middle of the night.
It means stepping up at a football game and screaming at the top of your lungs.
So, he can hear you through his muffled helmet, so he knows you’re rooting for him.
To be a mother means closing your eyes as dirt bikes in an all-age figure eight go racing by,
As you pray with all your might that he stays upright as he passes.
It means losing gasps of breath as shock consumes you, as your little superhero daredevil shouts
“Mum, look.” And then nose dives off the back of the couch. You leap into superhero action yourself and become his safe landing pad.
To be a mother means having moments of pure joy and pride as your son guides you around
the dance floor during the mother and son dance at his wedding, while you’re wondering when he learned to dance.
To be a mother means being there with understanding as your little eleven-year-old caboose,
Announces he’s gay in a fit of tears and anxiety and you meet him with “I know, baby, it’s okay.”
and embrace him with love.
To be a mother means you’re blessed with magical hugs and kisses that can heal almost any
childhood mishap and calm the most hysterical, fear-driven outburst.
To be a mother means being unshockable, unfazed, and unwavering.
It means being tough as nails and tender as a teddy bear.
It means you’re ready for any bloody mess.
It means making up bedtime routines filled with songs and stories.
It means being able to hold a sleeping twenty-pound baby for an entire two-hour
nap time and maintain the mom’s hip rocking motion for the duration.
To be a mother means to believe in something greater than you.
It means watching your heart walk around outside of yourself and trusting that
all will be okay.
It means being someone’s number one cheerleader and never letting them give up on their dreams.
It means holding onto their dreams and carrying them until they can carry them on their own.
It means chaperoning your fourteen-year-old to every open mic night as he began his dream as a musician.
It means watching your eighteen-year-old son leave for boot camp and praying with all your
heart that he will survive it and not desire active duty, because you don’t know if your heart can
handle losing him in war. You think, “Maybe I can go with him, and still be his safe landing pad.”
To be a mother means experiencing unconditional love like you’ve never experienced in your whole life. It’s true love.
It means realizing that you are capable of dying for another human being without hesitation.
Being a Mum of three boys means so many things to me. Most importantly, being their Mum has given me a life purpose. It’s given me hope for the next generation and hope for humanity.
The only thing better than being their mother is being a Gigi to their babies. Watching my babies raise babies of their own is like watching them grow up all over again, only with the fun parts. It’s the best.
I’m so blessed to be a mother!