5 Things Motherhood has Taught Me

On this Mothers Day, I wanted to share with you a little bit about my journey in motherhood so far. I cap it at “so far” because well, I’m right in the middle of it. I’m past the throws of the infant stage and toddler hood, and no sleep, and right in the sweet spot of “I can wipe my own bum” and “tie my own shoes” and there is no sign of pre-teen drama. And even if we aren’t at the same stage in life, or motherhood for that matter, I really just wanted to share what has impacted me, what I’ve learned so far, lol. Because if you haven’t been in toddlerhood for a while, it is no joke my friend! While I still have a long ways to go, here are 5 things I’ve learned so far.

***Disclaimer – I know that I don’t “have” to say this, but before we go any further, I don’t ever want someone to look at my photos and think I am perfect and have it all together. I know mothers day can be tough, I too have struggled with a VERY public miscarriage in my 2nd trimester, and a very private miscarriage the second time around. I have struggled, mourned, known loss, and even now still face challenges as a mom. I never want my pretty pictures to come across as “perfect” because I am far from it. I walk in God’s grace everyday to do the best I can, and hope to inspire others along the way.***

1. I’ve learned to embrace the mess. I feel like as moms sometimes, on the outside we can look completely put together, but no one saw the momentous battle it took get there. Being peed on, thrown up on, not getting a shower perhaps when we wanted. Life gets messy, and sometimes that means we have to get messy. So whether my house is turned upside down, because of weekend filled building legos and crafting at the kitchen island, there was no time to make the beds or do the dishes and that’s ok. I’m ok with getting messy, because it means I showed up, I participated, and didn’t let life pass me by.

2. I’ve learned not to sweat the everyday. Because if everyday I was put under a microscope of how I was measuring up as a mom, I would fail. The “never enough”, “the I’m not doing enough”, “I’m not good enough” would always win. I fail everyday as a mom, but there are moments of great success. When I have poured every last drop into making sure my kids know they are loved, they are wanted, and they are safe.

3. I’ve learned to laugh. I’ve always been a happy person. I love to laugh, but I’m also a typical first born who likes everything in order. Sometimes I take things way to seriously, including myself, and I get caught up in the busy that I forget to laugh. Kids are silly and goofy, and do stupid things, but man do they make me laugh, and they LOVE to see me laugh when they are being silly and goofy. I’ve learned to take a deep breath, exhale all my seriousness, and laugh when my kids are being just that – kids.

4. I’ve learned that I can’t teach them everything, but that I can be really good teaching them the important things. I might not be able to help with math homework, or even teach them how to read and remain poised. But I can teach them how to love, how to welcome others in and prefer others above themselves, and how small acts of kindness, like a homemade meal, can be the greatest gifts.

5. I’ve learned that they are watching. – As a mom of littles you tend to often think there are so many things they don’t see. Like how big your house really easy. When money is tight, and you have to stretch the groceries in your pantry to get dinner on the table. Or the chocolate you secretly eat while driving in the car, because they are confined to the back seat. Whoever came up with the idea to have your children fill out a sheet “About Mom” is a genius! It is so sincere to see the things that they notice when put down on paper. Like how they think you are 14 and only way 19 lbs. And that your favorite food is salad. Friends, my favorite food is not salad. I want all the dessert in the world, lol. But what that tells me is they are watching. The see me choose salad for most of meals (not because it’s my favorite), but because I am trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They are watching when we take the time to doing something nice for someone else, and I see it reflected in the way my daughter wants to back cookies for ALL the teachers at her school, not just the ones in her grade. They are watching those little unseen acts I do to prefer others, and it shows up in their completely random acts of kindness in homemade gifts for me, just because, on any given day. They are watching.

Whether you are a mom, a grandma, an aunt, or a mom in waiting, I pray that today you are blessed and feel loved, because of the calling God placed in your heart to nurture and love something so much bigger than yourself.

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