Think back for just a moment, moms, back to the days before you had children.
Remember everything you envisioned motherhood to be? You probably had a lovely little collection of mental snapshots all filed away in anticipation of the day you had children of your own.
If you were anything like me, your virtual photo album of motherhood probably contained photos like the following:
- Gently rocking a peacefully sleeping baby.
- Cuddling on the sofa with a brood of sweet and well-behaved, (and very, very clean,) children.
- Calmly reading stacks of colorful story books every evening before bed.
- Walking hand-in-hand through lush forests, seizing upon every possible learning opportunity as we discuss various points of nature.
- Planting kisses on scraped knees.
- Imparting great spiritual wisdom in moments of distress and decision.
- A spotless, beautifully decorated home.
- A mom who is patient, loving, and ever-prayerful for her children.
And if you’re anything like me, your photo album likely did not contain any photographs like these:
- Pacing with a crying baby who refuses to sleep. Night after night after night….
- Finding your beautiful collection of children’s books shredded and partially eaten by your toddler.
- Crayon sketches everywhere but on paper.
- Chocolate milk handprints all over a freshly mopped floor.
- Returning from a trip to the park in tears because a journey into nature that took 2 hours to prepare for ended exactly 14 minutes later with one child falling headlong in the mud and another nearly wandering into traffic in the chaos of the cleanup, all while the baby lay screaming bloody murder in his stroller the entire time.
- Approximately 3,000,000 Legos in my house. Everywhere.
- Spending HOURS in immediate care center waiting rooms.
- Plunging toilets. Again. And Again. And again. And again…
- Suddenly realizing your 6 year old is on his third day in those Superman pajamas. And not really caring much.
- Helping with 5th grade word problems that fry your brain.
- Ugly potty training experiences.
- The joke-telling stage.
- Laundry.
- Laundry.
- LAUNDRY! So much of it you find yourself hearkening back to the good ol’ Middle Ages where people wore the same clothes for weeks without washing them! (Kind of like those Superman pajamas…)
- Family heirlooms broken by flying action figures.
- Two-hour searches for missing favorite toys.
- DREADING the bedtime routine and wishing desperately they would all just collapse in place so you could carry them to bed and be done with it.
- Hearing your name called 2000 times per day. AT. LEAST.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I became a mother. I had no clue how hard it would be or how tired I would feel at the end of every day.
But I also had no idea how blessed I would feel. I had no clue it was even possible to love a little person so much, or to feel such joy in their every achievement.
I never knew hugs could be so warm and wonderful, or that, at day’s end, something so simple as, “You’re the bestest Mommy,” could sound like music to ears weary of cries and complaints and requests.
I never knew a person could feel the kind of happiness I feel when I see my child delighted. I never knew that being a mom could make me so complete.
There were a lot of things about motherhood I could never have anticipated or prepared for. But it has been a beautiful journey.More lovely than I ever could have pictured.
It is such a blessing and a privilege to be a mother ~ some days it's easier to remember that than others. 😉
I enjoyed this post so much. Happy Mother's Day!!
Yes, you tend to forget how blessed you are when you're having one of "those" days. But there are always those moments that remind you how you wouldn't trade your job for anything in the world.
Happy Mother's Day to you as well, Carol!
Everything is different than what you would imagine it to be, but so very wonderful. Motherhood definitely keeps you humble.
It does indeed! Motherhood is so much harder than I expected, and yet so much more wonderful.
Thank you for reading, Jennifer!
This post had me remembering, smiling and nodding agreement. If women knew how hard motherhood is, we might never embark on it, and miss out on the wonderfulness of it. Happy Mother's Day, Tanya!
My grandmother used to say that women are easy to forget, otherwise they would never have more than one child! I think it's the overwhelming love we feel that makes us so forgetful. 🙂 I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day as well, Heather!
Fun post!
Thanks, Abbi!
You second list made me laugh…so true. I have been finding myself overwhelmed lately by trying to balance everything, but its those moments of bear hugs and rocking and reading that help me get through the days.
It's amazing what a difference a simple hug or an I-love-you-mama can make in our day! So thankful for those moments!
Thanks for reading!
Not a mom but a teacher. Really great post!
Stopping by from Titus 2sday
Iris♥
The Blue Birdhouse
Feminine Modesty
No doubt many aspiring teachers picture their job very differently from the way it turns out! But there are precious moments, too, that make it all worth it.
Thanks for reading, Iris!
I love this! Some of these are so difficult… until they are done and then you miss them.
It's amazing how precious something so exhausting can be to you, isn't it? I can't even imagine right now how empty my house would be without the chaos of children.
This is great, Tanya. I had that romanticized image too, and like you, it reality it looked very different. 🙂 But yes, at the same time even more beautiful than I'd imagined. Real motherhood can be very messy (regardless of how old our children are), but it's always incredible.
So true, Lisa. There's no way to prepare yourself for either the chaos or the tremendous blessings of motherhood.
Thanks so much for stopping by today!
I loved reading this! Thanks for the smiles 🙂 Thank you for sharing this week on the Art of Home-Making Mondays.
Thanks so much for hosting! 🙂