One day, far from now, you will find yourself in a home, a hospital, a building........and you will be holding a baby.
Oh my girls.
I hope so much for you on that day. I hope that it went easy and the way that you wanted it to. I hope that your precious babe is healthy and screaming loud. I hope that you and your husband feel that sense of joy and excitement that your father and I felt on the day that each of you were born. I hope that I am there.........well after all the bloody and horrible bits occur......I apologize if you are disappointed in your mother for not being one who thinks the birthing process is beautiful. It just isn't.
And if for some reason none of the above is true.......just know it's a day and just like a wedding doesn't determine a marriage, a birth doesn't determine a life. How you got into the world is not so important as how you are cared for and live in that world.
And, girls, I want to talk to you for a moment about that first year.
It will seem like the BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER that you just had a baby.
And it is.
It will be to you.
It will be to your husband.
It will be to your family.
But it's one day. And the year that follows is just one year in a string of hopefully many, many years to come.
And so I want you to remember that what happens in that year is important in that you need to feed your baby, they need to sleep, they need lots of love, they need to have shelter and be clothed. You need to hold them and comfort them when they cry. Make sure you change their diaper lots and wash their tiny, little selves. Help them to sleep safe, ride safe and play safe. Read books to them. Kiss them.
Do all those things.
BUT HEAR ME NOW GIRLS.
IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW YOU ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS.
How you birth them, feed them, diaper them, sleep them, comfort them and keep them is up to you, my loves. And if by chance someone makes you feel as if you are LESS because of how you accomplish those things.........walk away, girls. Just walk away.
We, mothers, have a tendency to get so wrapped up in our world and our crusades and our soapboxes and our precious babies. We care so much about our little ones and, to be honest, are scared. We are scared that we aren't doing things right, that we aren't making the right decisions, right choices and so we have to BELIEVE in what we are doing and sometimes that means we hurt others or ourselves with our fervent beliefs.
Motherhood makes you sensitive.
Motherhood makes you strong.
Motherhood makes you crazy.
Motherhood makes you rally for your child which has become your cause.
Motherhood makes you certain..........until you aren't.
And so my sweet girls never mistake any method of birthing, feeding, diapering, scheduling, loving, caring, sleeping, keeping as holiness.
It's not.
It's just the first year.
Begin motherhood, not in battle AGAINST other mothers. But begin motherhood in battle WITH other mothers.
Because honestly?
You will feel as if you are battling those screaming, little creatures that you take home with you from wherever. It will be a battle to sleep them, feed them, clothe them, and continue to like them (The saying is true..........you DO always love them but liking them is another story). And you need other warriors in the battle with you.
Warriors who like your children when you don't.
Warriors to call and laugh with when your whole day has been tears and peeing pants and throwing things (and that's just what I was doing...........)
Warriors who will bring food or drinks or distractions.
Warriors who watch your kids.
Warriors who look beyond the mom debates and see to the heart of the mom.
Warriors.
Find your warriors, girls.
And BE a warrior for other moms. Be the safe place, the honest place.
And I will be yours.
I love you.
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