Do I Love Being a Mom?

Do I love being a mom?  Let me think on that question for awhile.

First, there were the pregnancies; which included heartburn, sleepless nights, permanent stretch marks on my stomach that resemble a road map going to nowhere, not to mention varicose veins.

My hair fell out, my skin was oily, my feet got bigger, as well as every other part of my body.  

Labor was unforgettable.   I would have never believed the miracle of life could enter the world through so much pain.  Yet, with each birth, the memories of the pain faded, though were not completely forgotten, as a new life entered the world.

Do I love being a mom?  Well, since I became a mother I have had to give up some things that I took for granted before childbirth, such as jumping jacks and bikinis.

I learned how to survive on little sleep, how to hold a baby all night to ease the pain of an ear infection, how to love beyond limits I thought were possible, how to cook with one hand and how to endure as I held down a full time job.

I’ve seen the inside of every public bathroom within a 100 mile radius, and have somehow managed to feed a child who couldn’t feed herself, even when I was so hungry myself that I thought I might pass out.  

I have bought tutu’s, soccer shoes, softball gloves, swimming goggles, karate belts, running shoes, and more homecoming and prom dresses than you can shake a stick at.

I’ve spent countless hours at recitals, plays, softball games, soccer games, concerts, and Lord help me, if I have to go to the pumpkin patch one more time, I’m not sure if I will make it.

We have survived colds, fevers, flus, viruses and strange things that happen in the middle of the night.  I have kissed boo-boos, fed imaginary friends, and rocked a child for so long that I thought my arm might fall off.

There have been countless birthday celebrations, and so many kids in our house at one time that my husband and I wondered if anyone would notice if we vanished.  

Our home has been the place for sleepovers and bonfires and many screaming silly girls doing all the things that screaming silly girls like to do.  We have been able to share our home and our life with so many girls throughout the years, and have fallen in love with each one, watching them grow into young women, who still like to be silly.

I have spent more time driving kids to and from events, and sitting outside of schools waiting for kids, than ought to be legal.  

I have watched my three girls grow into their personalities and become confident as their own lives have taken different forms.  I have often wondered how they can all be so alike and yet be so different from each other. 

I have learned that sometimes I don’t know anything; and that sometimes I am a hero.

I have learned that my relationship with God is not a secret, and that my children need to see my heart and know that God is real in my life.  I have had to learn how to be vulnerable and weak, so my children could understand that without God I am nothing.

When children are young, it seems they will never grow up; yet when they grow up it seems there is not enough time to instill in them all that they must know before they leave the safety of the nest.  

I have had days where I have failed miserably as a mother, and days when I have felt that I deserved a gold star.  I have learned that the memories we have created as a family are held differently in the heart of each child.  They remember the simple moments, not the ones that I try really hard to make special.  They remember moments of spontaneity; yet forget the details of our planned vacations.  

They love me in spite of my weaknesses and failures, and I love them even though their bedrooms usually look like a tornado went through them.

They have seen me without makeup, and love me no less than when I have tried to look my best.  

I have loved them through friendship troubles, and we have walked the road of heartache together as many of their friends have experienced the reality of divorce.  We have laughed together, cried together, fought together, shared thousands of meals together and loved each other regardless of our many moods.

I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into when I entered into motherhood.  Motherhood has brought out the best in me and motherhood has brought out the worst in me, as nothing else possibly could.

Some days I think I might lose my mind with the many responsibilities of being a mother, but most of the time I wonder what I will do when they are no longer living under my roof, and laundry is no longer  an event without a starting or ending point.  

When we took our oldest daughter to college I thought my heart would not survive the pain of separation.

As we drove away, I realized it was not just my mother’s heart that was breaking.  I was saying goodbye to one of my best friends.  

So, to answer the question, “Do I love being a mom?”  

Nothing else that I have put my hand to has come close to the joy of being a mother.  My children are my very heart.  

I was once told that as a mother it was my job to develop my children’s character.  I believe that God develops our children’s character and then uses our children to develop our character.

Yes, I love being a mom.

Stay the course...

Sheila Cote