This One is for the Mothers

“The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness.  When you become a mother you are no longer the center of your own universe.  You relinquish that position to your children.” – Jessica Lange

I really didn’t grasp the fact how true this quote was until I became a mother.  It’s only been 10 weeks, and yet I feel like I can truly understand what mothers go through and how Ms. Lange hits the nail on the head.  With Mother’s Day right around the corner, this post isn’t about my own experiences in motherhood, but a toast to all of the mothers out there – my family, my friends, and most importantly, my own mother.

This one is for the mothers.  The women who go through the most physically demanding and exhausting ordeal of their lives to give life to this tiny human who will forever change us.  This one is for those women who take home the brand new love of their life with absolutely no idea what to do yet.  For those women who now have the most important job they will ever have.  This one is for the women who endure the cracked nipples or bleary eyed formula feedings, the ones who will wake and give up sleep for even the slightest cry.  This one is for the women who feel completely lost, because I promise you the road will get much easier and more beautiful with each passing day.  This one is for the women covered in more bodily fluids than they ever thought possible and to surviving 3 AM diaper changes (and whole outfit changes).  This one is for every mother out there, no matter how young or old, no matter if you have little babies or bigger babies.  You all deserve to be told how absolutely amazing you are.  You all define selflessness and I really understand that now.  Being a mother isn’t about forgetting who you are as a person, it’s about becoming a different person entirely.  Giving yourself to another person for the rest of your life is easier said than done, but mothers do this every single day.  Saying you would die for your children seems like such an exaggerated monumental statement, but mothers know it to be completely true.  Of course there are bad days, like when your baby will cry and cry for no reason and you want to tear your eyes out because you are so tired, or when your teenager thinks she knows better than you do about everything (sorry mom), but the love mothers have for their children is so all consuming that the good days will always outweigh the bad.  This is why you all deserve to be celebrated and to be told how special you are.  I’d buy you all a very large alcoholic beverage if I could. because Lord knows we could all use one at one time or another!

And to my mom – being a mother to Charlotte has made me see you in a new light.  I have never loved or appreciated you more than I do now, and if Charlotte looks to me like I look to you, I’ll know I have done a good job.

Now if you’ll excuse me, my child has her fist shoved very far into her mouth and I know she is about to make herself vomit.