Motherhood.
It is a word so powerful that just typing it gives me the chills. A word that encompasses responsibility, love, and sacrifice, and while I always have been grateful for and appreciated my own mother, I did not realize how much until my daughter was born in September of 2019.
From the time my water broke at 4 p.m. until she was born via c-section at 9:01, all I could think about was her future. Am I strong enough to do this? Will she be a good human? Will she have a passion for animals and heart for rescue as much as I do? How can I make her happy? It has been nine months since that day and it makes my heart happy seeing the joy in her eyes when she looks at her pets. She is full of life and has the most contagious laugh. It is a privilege to be her mother.
Ana will grow up and have her own dreams in her pursuit of happiness. She will make decisions I will not agree with, but I hope she will trust me enough to ask my opinion beforehand. I hope we have a relationship that goes beyond parent and child; a friendship so honest and pure that it resembles mine with my mother. She is my confidant, constant cheerleader, and biggest supporter.
As I reflect on my childhood and the relationship with my own mother, I am so proud to call her mine and have her in Ana’s life.
I never understood the sacrifices that were made until I sacrificed my size 6 figure, hair highlights, sleep, and time to myself for a 5.5 pound little girl. Her time as a stay-at-home mom is different than mine as a working mom. We lived in the country with open land and wild animals all around. I am raising Ana in a suburb with parks and dogs being walked by their owners. She cooked everything by hand, and while I do the best I can, I will admit I have a love affair with Costco.
Although the childhood environments may be different, the love my mom has for me and mine for my daughter are the same. It is a beautiful thing to share my first motherhood experiences with my own mama, and I pray Ana can do the same one day. Things that once mattered do not as much anymore, and I am finding that more and more to be okay.
As women, we are just as powerful as the word motherhood, and we should not be ashamed to show that to the world.
