I hope you’ve enjoyed the Bloggers on Motherhood series! I’d like to thank all of the wonderful women who participated and shared their stories. To wrap the series up, I’m sharing my thoughts.
What surprised you about motherhood?
That I’m good at it. Most of my life I had no interest in having a child. I usually preferred Barbies, books, and Charlie’s Angels over babies when I was a kid. As an adult, I never seriously thought I wanted to have a baby until I was 38 and Drew and I were together.
I never thought of myself as having maternal instincts, even though I’ve had the roles of caregiver and/or therapist in various relationships throughout my life. I thought that having a child would be too much responsibility and require too much sacrificing of my freedom. I had no idea what it would feel like to love your own child. To be this consumed. To actually feel the love I have for him spread throughout my entire self.
What is one of your favorite memories about your mother?
I was a super anxious little girl. I really wasn’t interested in leaving my mother’s side. She always made me feel safe. Even if she got mad at me for picking off most, if not all, of the rose petals of our neighbor’s bushes so I could make a fairy princess bed, things were still generally okay.
As a super anxious kid, going to school was the worst. But when it was time for lunch, I would open my lunchbox and there would be sweet notes from my mom written on napkins. I remember how happy it made me to read what she’d written that day, and how reassuring the notes were.
When I got older and lived on my own, the notes turned into cards that were delivered by mail when I was going through particularly hard times. It’s always nice to see that envelope with the comforting handwriting I’ve known throughout my life and know that there is something precious inside that’s going to make my day a whole lot better. Thanks, Mom.
What is one of your favorite things about being a mother?
This guy.
I love being the mother of this specific kid – watching his personality develop, getting to know him and what he likes, seeing how excited he gets about EVERYTHING, listening to him talk, his infectious laugh and smile, hugging him tight and kissing his face and head a million times until he says, “Bye, Mommy.” He is the perfect child for me. He’s adventurous, hilarious, and super smart. And I’m not just saying that because I’m his Mom.
Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there! xoxo
P.S. I have one more interview today. She’s not a blogger, but she’s an awesome mother. Stay tuned…