Intentionally Reflecting On The Good In Our Mom’s
There are many times we hear others talking negatively when talking about their moms. This negativity may be a situation from their childhood that they disliked or even a current situation in adulthood. We hear terms such as overbearing or overprotective, or the struggle between their spouse and their moms. Mom’s can be seen as someone who is constantly tell us what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, or tell us how to do something better. We hear how moms are good at critiquing and judging rather than pouring out love and care for in the moment.
The world we live in today has come a long way for the good, but this world is also full of placing blame on others. As Mother’s Day approaches, I’m encouraging us to focus on the good. I’m encouraging us to focus on the great things our mother’s have done for us rather than the bad. And maybe, just maybe we can continue to see the good, not just in our mother’s, but in everyone around us.
The Baby Years
Even before entering this world, our mother’s chose to care for us while inside the womb. We are in this world because they chose to bring us here. They made sure we got all the nutrients we needed by taking daily vitamins and eating as healthy as they could while also staying away from the unhealthy things. They went in for their doctor appointments regularly to make sure we were growing properly, and cared for the way we needed to be.
When we entered the world, we were held, we were fed, and we were protected. Some of us were loved like this through genetics. There are other mothers were not ready to be moms and they gave us to another mom who loved us just the same. Though that may look different in everyone’s lives, we were all loved and cherished by our moms in some capacity.
Helping Through School Years
School may come easy for some, but for most, in order to succeed we have to work hard. For many of us we struggled with getting our work done or remembering what work we actually had to do. That’s when our moms pushed us to try harder, do our best, or get on us to study and get school assignments done on time. Many of us would have failed without our mothers, but instead we succeeded in school because of their encouragement.
When we had extracurricular activities, it was our moms most of the time driving us to and from those things, cheering us on, encouraging us when we lost, or hyping us up when we won. They were the ones who got us signed up for these activities and paid any fees that were needed. Even if the budget was tight, they found a way to make it possible.
When our hearts were sad or mad, they were the ones giving us a hug and telling us it would all eventually be okay. They were the ones that did anything to make us smile. Whenever we needed advice, they were always willing to give it. Whether or not that advice ended up helping or not, they were always willing to take the time to get us through any situation.
Coming to the Rescue
Some of us ended up having children of our own as we grew up. For most of us, our own motherhood journey’s started a bit rocky. We didn’t know what was normal, what wasn’t, when to call the doctor and when to let an illness run its course. We didn’t know how much to feed our children or when to feed them. Was that cry an indicator of a problem or if it was totally normal? There is only so much you can learn from a parenting book. We learn a lot more in motherhood by trial and error and calling our own moms for more of their advice.
They are the ones who will always pick up the phone and get us through any situation. If we struggle with post parttum depression, they’ll love us through that and reiterate how normal it is after just having a baby.
If we are burnt out and in need of a break, they are the ones to come and give you that when they are able. If they are around, they would come over, take the baby, and tell you to go take a nap because they’ve got it under control.
Mother’s are the Best
Our moms may all be different from one another, but one thing they all have in common is their love for their kids. Even if they have messed up from time to time. Even if they gave you to someone else because they recognized they weren’t capable of being a mom. Even if they became terminally ill and unable to do the day to day motherly things. If our moms are ours through biology, through foster care, or through adoption, they all still love us in their own unique ways, and they deserve to be celebrated!
Moms aren’t all equal in the way they parent, but they are all equal in their love. As Mother’s Day approaches, let us focus on the good. Let us focus on the love they gave us, whether that was in person or from afar. Let us focus on the fact that they all tried their best, because their best is exactly what they could give.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, in whatever capacity makes you a mom!
