Motherhood is being jolted awake in the dead of night for a glass of water, an extra blanket, or a beloved stuffed animal. It’s the endless cycle of preparing lunch after lunch, only to discover those nutritious snacks stashed behind the car seat, left to wither away. It’s spending every spare penny you have and realizing that a full night’s sleep has become a distant memory.
Motherhood is the cacophony of siblings fighting over who gets to gaze out of which window, arguing about who started it all, and the fleeting moments when you think you love them all equally, even if at that moment you might not like any of them. It’s cleaning up messes that you never imagined you’d encounter, including far more diaper changes than you bargained for.
Motherhood is driving a car so cluttered that you would cringe if your partner ever took a peek inside. It’s hearing the incessant “why?” a hundred times a day and often feeling stumped for an answer. It’s the quiet knowledge of your child’s fever just by placing your hand on their forehead.
Motherhood is the physical changes, with stretch marks that tell stories and feet that feel a size larger, alongside the bittersweet reality of deflated breasts. It’s finally coming to appreciate all that your own mother has done for you. It’s dreaming of a day when the laundry pile will finally be conquered, even though you know it’s a lofty aspiration.
Motherhood is singing along to your child’s favorite songs, even if they drive you up the wall. It’s that deep-seated need to have all your children safely under your roof, always feeling slightly unwell but never able to indulge in your own discomfort. It’s using your sleeves as makeshift tissues and your own saliva to clean up their messy faces.
Motherhood is the ability to recognize each child just by the sound of their footfalls on the stairs. It’s the reluctance to say “I told you so,” even when you’ve repeated yourself countless times. And just when you’re ready to collapse from exhaustion, a child will let out a laugh or do something hilariously silly, and in that moment, you’ll find yourself erupting with laughter, reminiscent of those carefree days in school.
As you glance at your children, piled up on your bed, rosy-cheeked and giggling, you realize the most important things in your life are right there with you. They are yours, and every sleepless night and sacrifice is worth it. But just seconds later, one accidentally kicks the other, leading to a retaliatory bite, and you’ll wish you could rewind time to savor the joy for just a little longer.
This cycle continues endlessly. That’s what motherhood is to me.
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In summary, motherhood is a beautiful yet chaotic journey filled with laughter, exhaustion, and unconditional love, wrapped in the daily challenges that shape the experience.