One of my favorite quotes is this: “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Elizabeth Stone
As soon as I had my first child, I learned that as soon as that baby makes its appearance in the world you must start letting go. I remember being pregnant with Adrian, and having that security knowing how safe he was inside of me. That bond that you have with that little one, the little kicks that only you can feel, the flips and the flops, the stomping on your bladder….I remember despite the joy of the moment of finally getting to hold the baby in my arms, being a little sad knowing that my child would never be so close and so safe inside me again.Knowing that we now have to face all the cruelness in te world. So in a way it was a bitter-sweet moment for me.
Being a mom has taught me so much in the short 3 months that I have been at it. It has taught me that my heart is indeed capable of limitless love. Being a mother to someone requires patience, love, understanding, and the realization that being a mother is not an easy task. You have to be a comforter, a booboo kisser, a tickler, a get the monster out of the closet exterminator, a bug squishier, a chef, a Martha Stewart clone, cool, a personal shopper, a chauffeur, and so many other things. you will cry with them when they have to go to the ER because of high fever or mild asthma. you will change a million diapers, you will wonder when you’ll get to use the bathroom alone again.
I believe someone once said that motherhood is the hardest job for which one never gets paid. But I believe that we do get paid. The currency is just a little different. Instead of dollars and cents, we receive hugs and kisses. In place of a bonus or raise, we get a cuddle, or an “I love you.” We don’t have a yearly review. Instead we get that warm fuzzy feeling when our child masters a skill, or does something to make us very proud. Unlike the stock-market, we invest in our children with our time, our teachings, and our love. And the return is ten-fold. The “boss,” or our children, may not notice our hard work. Yet we keep “clocking-in.” Why? Because this is the most important job that we will ever have. We may want to call in sick sometimes. But we won’t get fired. We won’t quit.
I can’t wait til my little boy can say those words to me… “i love you mommy”
hayhay i love you baby boy