Having another child, the passage of time, and the graduation of my first baby into the toddler stage have all facilitated the fact that every day, I understand my own mother (and other mothers) a little more. On the one hand, there are little daily trials where I have to remind myself to keep the edge of cynicism out of my voice. On the other hand, as I nurse and snuggle a wonderfully sleepy Eve, or laugh and tickle a shrieking Eden, I'm reminded that the best moments of my life are with these girls. It makes me look back at my own childhood a little differently, and helps me understand why our own parents were so anxious for us to move back nearby, especially once we'd produced a grandchild or two.
Posts like this one remind me to love the everyday moments, even the ones that seem like irritations at the time--to relish being so needed, since it doesn't last forever, or even very long. It also made me realize how early our children can be impressed with such a concept. And posts like this one are a sobering reminder of what the true suffering of a mother looks like--how heartbreakingly common it is in the rest of the world, and how the rest of us truly don't (and we pray, won't) ever have any idea. The blogger is a midwife, like me, and a relatively new mother, like me--but unlike me, she's choosing to raise her family in poverty-stricken Africa, where her own children will undoubtedly face an uphill battle to stay healthy and perhaps survive, in the name of maximizing the chances for other mothers and babies.
Posts like this one remind me to love the everyday moments, even the ones that seem like irritations at the time--to relish being so needed, since it doesn't last forever, or even very long. It also made me realize how early our children can be impressed with such a concept. And posts like this one are a sobering reminder of what the true suffering of a mother looks like--how heartbreakingly common it is in the rest of the world, and how the rest of us truly don't (and we pray, won't) ever have any idea. The blogger is a midwife, like me, and a relatively new mother, like me--but unlike me, she's choosing to raise her family in poverty-stricken Africa, where her own children will undoubtedly face an uphill battle to stay healthy and perhaps survive, in the name of maximizing the chances for other mothers and babies.
My own life has been touched by many wonderful and selfless mothers, including my mother-in-law--truly one of the easiest and most comfortable people to be around that I've ever met. She's felt like a mother and a friend since the day we first met. I had two wonderful grandmothers, who unfortunately will never meet the little girls named after them. And this year in particular has been special for the ability to share so many mothering moments (and knowing looks) with my own mother--from the mundane (lots of diapers) to the profound (giving birth), having my mother back in the fabric of my everyday life is something I treasure deeply, and know I will miss once we're out on our own again. Thanks for everything, Mom. And Happy Mother's Day.
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