Ten Lessons on Motherhood

Published May 6, 2012 | By Debra

Although Mother’s Day is a week away yet, for many reasons my mind is thinking about motherhood.

Ten lessons I have learned about motherhood:

1. When you hold that baby in your arms for the first time there is no more awe-some, magical, overwhelming experience in the world. This new life came from you and your beloved and now you are in charge of caring for him/her. Incredible.

2. Even though I am in my forties now I still need my mom.

3. We can grow up and hold anger in about the way our parents raised us. In the end, they did their best and we as parents are now doing the best we can.

4. Stepchildren do grow up.

5. Teenaged daughters are just being teenagers. The less reactive and more centered we can be, the more we will have to give (with sanity somewhat preserved in the process).

6. I am so thankful that my mom: was always there when we were little, has a sweet easy going nature, and is still there! (we are taking a cruise together next December)!

7. No matter their parenting style, moms are the anchor of our ships.

8. It’s amazing when you become a parent yourself you realize all the stuff our moms put up with.

9. Who else can I text anytime with any crazy thing other than my mom?

10. What our moms did well we can aspire to (in our own parenting). What they did not, we can still learn, forgive, and love them always for if not for them, we would not be here.

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper

*This post is dedicated to my mother in law who passed away this morning (out of respect for the family’s privacy I will not mention her name at this time). She was always a mom to me (so much more than a “mother in law”).

A call to action:

If your mom is still around, let her know you love her. Hug her. Love her!

In peace,

Debra