When I was a little girl, I only had one big dream. Babysitting at the age of ten for the three year old little girl next door and her six month old brother embedded one desire deep in my heart – to grow up and be a mom.
While other life goals wove in and out of the fabric of my life, motherhood was the common thread of joy which gave my patchwork of experiences meaning.
Although it was thirty five years ago for my son and thirty years ago for my daughter, holding them in my arms for the first time is a visceral feeling that is pervasive and eternal. I can close my eyes and remember the warmth, the scents and the sounds of those first few moments of overwhelming love. It is an experience most of us moms have in common and can relate to . . . utter joyful bliss.
Like you, I am many things to many people – friend, sister, cousin, aunt and so on. But to only two people in the world, I am mom. M…o…m, three little letters forming one tiny word but when heard for the first time from the mouth of your child – changes everything.
This morning as I greeted the sunrise, drank my coffee and watched the hummingbirds delight in the nectar I provided for them, I thought about the incredible privilege it is to become a mother. The task is daunting, challenging, exhausting, soul-expanding, character exposing, dutiful, gut wrenching, pride inducing and overwhelmingly the most amazing purposeful job one can take on.
Perhaps one of the most difficult parts of being a mom is the transition from being the one who fulfills their every need to being the woman who gave them life and raised them to be a functional, independent human being. We want them to spread their wings and fly – but being the one to give them that little shove out of the nest isn’t so easy. For them to be self- sufficient and self-assured – we have to be selfless, to let go, to let our role evolve.
From coos and cuddles in the rocking chair to a text about a new job or next travel adventure happens literally in the blink of an eye. That is how it feels to a mom’s heart at least that is how it feels to mine.
These are the fun years because my kids are now my peers. While they both still call me “mom” – our relationship is so much more than simply a parent child connection. We are the best of friends – a wonderful gift for which my husband and I feel deep gratitude.
These days, every moment we get to spend with our two adult kids and their spouses is a time we treasure knowing how fast this life is going and how any minute everything and anything can change. To all moms out there – whether you are new at this or like me have been at it for a long while – I just want to say . . . Bravo! You have the best title and job description in the world.
Embrace your role with humility and gratitude and on occasion if you feel like you don’t know who you are . . . or the unforgiving world has you questioning yourself or your significance in it . . . take a deep breath, look at your own reflection and reassure yourself of your value and simply state to the world. . . “I am mom.”
The Zen Den
Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
