Motherhood

Whenever I talk about motherhood with women who are pregnant with their first child or planning to have a baby in the near future, I always mention how transformative it is to become a mom.  Compared to the milestone that they probably went through most recently, getting married, there’s really no comparison. Motherhood changes you, fundamentally.

When Sienna was born, it was the most amazing moment, and I fell in love with her the second I saw her.  Or, more accurately, Dennis and I were in love with her as soon as we knew we were expecting.  Before we even knew she was a she (we didn’t find out the gender of either child) – we loved her.

But, in addition to the amazing unconditional love and intense joy, the thing I loved best about becoming a mom was how crystal clear my priorities became.  If Sienna was fed, bathed, clothed, happy, and rested – all was right in the world.  Focusing on her needs was liberating, because it made all the trivial things I used to worry about seem insignificant.  My world became smaller and better.

I just finished a great book- Belong to Me (A Book Worth Reading post will be forthcoming!). It dealt with the various ways that love, including maternal love, changes people.  The main character, who has her first baby at the end of the book, reflects: “Now Rose zigzags toward me, throws her pretty arms around my leg, and allows me to life her.  With the weight of her against my hip, with her face near mine, I am perfectly balanced, as firmly planed on earth as I had ever hoped to be.”  This passage brought tears to my eyes.  I understood exactly what she meant.

There’s something about holding my child that makes me feel complete, grounded, and content.

There’s nothing better.