M-O-T-H-E-R

 

When I was a little girl, we would serenade our mothers with the song, M-O-T-H-E-R, at our grade school’s Mother’s Day celebration. I remember singing with heartfelt and earnest enthusiasm to convey my love for my mom. It’s a sweet memory that resurfaces every year, and this year is no exception.

This year, though, it led to more than a trip down memory lane. This song has led to some self-reflection about my journey as a mother and what being a mother means to me. After five years of intensive and invasive infertility treatment, I became a mom almost nineteen years ago. I celebrated my first Mother’s Day by bringing our daughter home from the hospital, and so began a journey of a lifetime.

My apologies to the songwriter who penned this Mother’s Day classic, as I put my own twist on it. Instead of revisiting what my mom means to me, I put some random thoughts together about what it means to me to be a mother.

M is for moments. Being a mom is a series of moments, both big and small, strung together to create a bond and memories between a mother and child. There’s a litany of firsts, lasts, and in betweens. There are moments you won’t soon forget, and moments that you may prefer not remember. Each moment, though, is part of the tapestry of motherhood.

O is for openness.  Motherhood breaks your heart and your mind wide open, in ways that you never knew existed.  Our minds and hearts are stretched to reveal an unlimited capacity to love, to learn, and to grow.  

T is for tears. Tears of joy. Tears of sorrow. Tears of anger. Tears of frustration. Tears of relief. Motherhood should come with stock in Kleenex, because moms are given lots of opportunities to give their tear ducts a workout on a regular basis.

H is for humble. No matter how educated you are, how successful you are, or how prepared you are, motherhood will humble you in numerous, unexpected ways. Being a mom is a study in how another human being will constantly show you how much you don’t know. It’s on the job training that never actually ends.

E is for evolving. With every age and stage, moms have to change and evolve as a parent and as an individual. Change is the only constant indeed.

R is for responsible. There are responsibilities, and then, there are the responsibilities of motherhood. To assume responsibility for the love, care, and upbringing of another human being is daunting and definitely requires some degree of insanity.

So, there you have my take on what mother means to me, and you can thank me for not bursting into song. Maybe, mother means something completely different to you, and that’s okay, as we all put our own unique stamp on motherhood. Here’s to my mom and all the other moms on this day and every other day of the year.  Happy Mother’s Day!

That’s another story. . .

 

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Categories: That's Another Story

Tags: M-O-T-H-E-R, moms, Mother's Day, motherhood, mothers, parenting, That's Another Story