What is Takes to be a Mother...

 











 
Mother's Day has come and gone.  I really hope that each of you had a chance to relax, put up your feet and just do nothing for one day.  I hope that each of you had a chance to be pampered and adored by your hubby and children for at least one day.  If not for the entire day, at least for a couple of hours!

 I am reminded of something that my mother said to me when I was preparing for a trip a couple summers ago.  I say trip because my mother was quick to inform me that even when you, as a mother, go on vacation, you aren't really going to relax cuz you end up taking your work with you.  So in essence, you don't ever get a vacation unless you leave the children at a sitter and go with your hubby on a get-away.  And when you go on such a get-away, you start to feel guilty cuz you left your precious children with someone else to take care of their every need.

Lets face it.  We as mothers WANT to feel needed.  We WANT the responsibility to care for the needs of a helpless little child.  We WANT to be relied upon to fix the meals, wash the dishes, clean the laundry and wipe runny gunky noses.  After all, isn't that why we said "yes" to our hubbies?  For the chance to experience life as a mamma?

I really don't think that some hormone ridden teens really "get it".  They play with fire, which is very natural, but they don't stop to think of the consequences.  Being a mom is hard work!  I only have 3 children, but my mother has 6!  I am amazed that we all made it to adulthood without killing each other or landing in jail.  I think all mothers who reach this accomplishment in life deserve a medal!

Ok.   Let's stop to look at what it takes to be a mom.
    1 - Right off the start, you loose your sleep (sometimes even your breakfast, lunch and dinner!)
    2 - Your body is no longer yours, you have to take care of it cuz you are now caring for 2 people.
    3 - When the baby is born, sure they are super cute and fun to cuddle, but what happens when said baby starts to wail cuz they are hungry, tired, wet/poopy, or just plan grumpy and need to wail?
    4 -  You have to give up EVERYTHING!  No more can you just drop everything and leave to go to the store, go out with friends, go to the movie, go do whatever it is you were always doing BEFORE said baby came into your life.  You have to stop and think about how that baby is going to be cared for while you are away.  If you're not used to caring for a baby, you may just end up "forgetting" that baby at least once!
    5 - As a mom you don't get holidays, weekends, sick leave.  You don't work 9 am - 5 pm.  You are on the clock 24/7/365!  This is a hard job and 100% of the time there is NO interview process!
    6 - If you decide to have more than one baby, you then have to endure the consequence of "sibling rivalry".  I won't go into that, but you can read more on this from an earlier post "Have Kids They Said..."

So there are thousands of reasons why we as mothers have a hard time.  BUT there are hundreds of thousands of rewards to being a mom.  For example:

    1 - After a long, hard labor and delivery, you finally get to hold that little person who was squirming in your belly for so long.  When you look into that sweet face you have a deep feeling of holding an angel who just dropped out of heaven.  That feeling turns to instant love for something so tiny and full of life.  You look into their eyes and see "hope" reflected in their eyes.
    2 - You get to hold that precious child and know that Heavenly Father chose YOU to be the caregiver to one of His precious angels here on earth.  If you think about it, that is an enormous responsibility!  It is kinda scary, cuz you now start to worry if what you do for your child is going to be "good enough".
    3 - You get to experience the highs of great achievements with your children when they have worked so hard for a goal and finally reached said goal.  These are great times of back-slapping and high-fives!  There are also those times of disappointment when said goal is not gained and your child now feels failure.  These are the times when you put your arms around them and give your unconditional love to them and let them know that "it will be OK".
    4 - You get to experience the thrill of a child looking at you with big, huge innocent eyes and saying "Mommy, I Love You" for no reason at all except for the fact they love having you as their mamma.
    5 - Let's not forget about our older mothers, they get to experience the thrill of grandchildren!  To know the love of a grandmother is AMAZING!  My mother once told me when I brought my children for a visit, that if they are at grandma's house they follow grandma's rules, which at the time included having dessert BEFORE they finished dinner.  I can't wait til I reach this goal!  Let's not forget our great-grandmothers, that is amazing time of life in and of itself!
    


6 - ........

I could go on and on, but I know that if you are a mother reading this post you will understand the ups and downs associated with being a mother.  The highs are amazing and the lows can be devastating, but in the end, being a mother is an amazing, awesome responsibility that is not for the fickle of heart.

So to all you amazing mothers out there, I salute you and say "Thank You" for all you do to help make the future generation better than we are today!