Today is Mother’s Day and since giving birth to my son in 2015, I am now priviledged to be a mother. And it really is a priviledge and the biggest blessing despite the daily struggles and frustrations.
So what does it mean to be a mother? Well, life changes completely when you enter the world of motherhood. You change. Some say you worry less but for me, I worry more.
You become more confident in yourself even when you are unsure of what to do. You prioritise your child and therefore you know that whatever decision you make is the best for you and your family.
You lose your inhibitions. I walk down the street some days singing made up songs to my son just because I feel like it or because he’s crying and I really need to do something to calm him down. I don’t think people mind but my previous corporate self would have been too embarrassed to be seen to be so uncool.
Your interactions with people changes for the better. I am amazed at the kindness of strangers every day. Yesterday, in a minimart as I was holding my son in one arm and trying to find coins to pay for a pint of milk and a single mandarin, the man at the till asks me who the mandarin is for. I answer that it’s for my son. He replies ‘then it’s free’. The security man at the local supermarket chats to my son as I wait in line to pay and gives him high fives. Drivers slow down so we can cross the road. We meet and talk to strangers every day and I like people more these days. I love that.
Being a mother is not easy though and I’m surprised by that. I have meltdowns often and my husband has had to learn to show patience and counter it with love instead. When your son is crying in bed because you’re taking 3 minutes to take a shower or you have no time to comb your hair before leaving the house, you are bound to feel irritated. Or when your son kicks off his shoe 10 times before you’ve even made it on to the bus to go somewhere, it can get on your nerves. Especially when you’ve been up every 2.5 hours the night before.
So these day I have a new appreciation for mothers (and fathers) who’ve been there and done that. And I find myself asking them ‘how did you do it?’ because it is the most amazing role as well as the most challenging I’ve had!