Happy Mothers Day

Before I became a parent I would hear from my own mother and other moms in my life say, “Wait until you have your own children, you’ll understand”. I would stand in judgment, thinking what a cliché statement, and almost be annoyed that these mothers thought they knew more than me. Then I had Audrey and now understand the following:

• Giving your children freedom to learn on their own and make mistakes is literally terrifying, it’s like jumping of a bridge. Why? Because your heart plunges to the floor at the thought of them being hurt, scared, or disappointed, but at the same time you know you can’t hold them back from growing up.
• It will be 18 years before you can sit down at the table the entire way through dinner without having to get up to clean a spill, fetch more milk, or bring out seconds.
• You will let your child have the Mac and Cheese or white bread while you are in a restaurant so you and those around can enjoy a meal in peace.
• It will become the norm for your car and purse to be filled with two day old waffle pieces, stickers, Goldfish, dirty tissues, and random toys.
• Your heart will explode with pride when your child sings, dances, swims, or kicks a ball.
• You will have mental countdowns to naptime and a suitable hour to drink wine.
• Going to the grocery store by yourself truly is a mini vacation.
• Using the bathroom in privacy is a luxury you take for granted prior to having a child.
• You will watch horrible events on the news and you will feel sick to your stomach thinking “What if that were my child?”
• You will never really sleep soundly again.
• You save your vacation days to take care of fevers, ear infections, and tummy aches.
• You will desperately want a break from it all and when you get it, you will desperately miss your children.
• The greatest thing you will ever do is raise a child.

I am still very new at this mother thing, I only have 2 ½ years under my belt. I know I have a lot more to experience and learn. I already look back at some of my own childhood moments and see things from a different perspective. Like anything else, you really can’t understand what it means to be a mother until you are a mother.  So to all the moms out there Happy Mother’s Day, and who knows maybe you will even get to pee in private on your special day.