Motherhood is a divine calling and a lifelong commitment. It is a journey that commences when a woman first feels the movement of the fetus in her womb and continues throughout her lifetime.
God bestowed upon women a wonderful gift, the maternal instinct, which is usually triggered the instant the woman connects with the unborn being within her. However, it may come even before that; it is what activates the desire for children. This can be so compelling that a woman would do anything to obtain fulfillment and if it does not happen biologically then she might seek to acquire a child through adoption. As with everything else, there are exceptions. I suppose there is a small percentage of women who were not blessed with the maternal instinct.
A mother (together with the father) has the awesome responsibility of bringing a soul into the world. She has the task of loving, caring, nurturing, and protecting her children guiding them into becoming productive members of society. She makes every sacrifice necessary for her children’s happiness even if it means putting herself back and often denying her own needs. She will work extra jobs to provide for their needs and will try to shield them from the hardships and difficulties that she encountered in her own life. A mother spends sleepless nights when her children are ill; she wipes her children’s tears and her heart breaks when they hurt.
A mother’s heart glows with pride at her children’s achievements – from their first words and first steps to their graduation ceremonies; from her son’s fame on the basketball team to her daughter’s success on the Got Talent stage. Her heart is wrung with anguish as she waves goodbye when her teenager boards the flight which will take him/her away to college overseas. She smiles through her tears because it is the opportunity they had prayed so hard for, yet she is keenly aware that this parting is only the beginning, the first stage of the baby eagle spreading its wings, taking flight.
A mother is tearful, yet joyous when she hands her daughter over to that Mr. Right who is going to take on the responsibility of making her baby happy for the rest of her life. Will he live up to expectations? Or that sweet young woman who will be the perfect wife to her cherished son; will she be able to cook his favorite meals and delight him in every way? There is so much uncertainty ahead; she ought to let go, but something in her wants to hold on just in case things don’t go right. Oh, a mother is torn when she has to let go of her child no matter how promising the prospects may look.
My Motherhood Journey
My two daughters are the Blessings of my life; my reason for being. Through them I have learned so much; I have learned the meaning of love, devotion, and commitment. I have learned how natural it becomes to love someone more than yourself when that person is an extension of you. Their every joy ignites corresponding happiness within me and good news from them causes me to radiate gladness. I can’t imagine ever not being a part of their lives.
So alike and yet so different and distinct, each has brought me to different levels of maturity. I have grown immensely through their experiences; both their achievements and their difficulties. They have given me affirmation when I doubted my effectiveness as a mother and helped me to recognize when I was going wrong; to acknowledge my errors, to apologize, and to know that they continued to love me despite my mistakes. They have helped me to believe in myself. There is no sacrifice I would not make for them. I hope they will soon bring me two wonderful sons and grandchildren to brighten my senior years.
Although they are now adults, my journey is not done; it will never be done because it is a commitment etched into my heart for life. A mother’s task is never done. I remember my own mother frequently saying, as my six brothers and I grew up, “Small children, small trouble; big children, big trouble.” It was a conundrum to my childish ears and later, my teenage ears, but as a mother, the meaning became clearer and clearer as my own children grew. Every heartache they experience resonates within me and I recognize that it is indeed much easier to solve childish problems like a grazed knee, a lost toy, or a fight between siblings than to deal with the relationship and identity problems that come with the teenage years or the marriage, financial, employment and other troubles which come with adulthood.
A Lifelong Commitment
Motherhood is, indeed, a lifelong commitment; a mother is never done caring. Her adult child’s cares become her cares so if her child has a difficult marriage, she carries some of that burden; if the grandchildren are difficult she carries some of that burden; if there is an illness, she carries that too. Wherever there is trouble, Mother is there. Blessed are the mothers whose children remain on course, who have successful marriages, enjoy good health, great jobs, and rewarding life.
Blessed also are the mothers who live to see their grandchildren, to pamper them and lavish love on them, their sternness tempered by age. I wait with eagerness for my own grandchildren if God wills.