This is for all the brave moms.
For all the pictures we don’t untag on Facebook even though we think they make us look fat or ugly or somehow less than.
For all the kisses and I Love Yous and butterflies in our bellies in the school drop-off line.
For all the nights before surgery.
For all the times we tell them It’ll All Be OK because we hope and hope it will be.
For all the What-Ifs and the Please, God, pleases.
For all the sitting in the dark.
For watching our babies learn to eat by choking and learn to walk by falling.
For all the times we manage, somehow, to put one foot in front of the other, and for all the times we sit down in the middle of life’s path because we cannot go on.
For all the times we dare to whisper I Need Help and for all the times we lay our head on our arms because I Can’t Tell Anyone I Need Help, too.
For all the tentative smiles in the grocery store. For all the times we say Good Job to a stranger.
For all the times we choose to believe the best when we’re also fearing the worst.
For the times we say Yes, You Can Climb That Tree… or Ride Your Bike Downhill… or Walk to the Park With Your Sister, and for the hearts in our mouths and lumps in our throats.
For the days we go to work and the days we stay home.
For the days we mentally pack our bags but don’t walk out the door the way we want to, want to, want to, and for those of us who do walk out the door to keep ourselves and our littles safe.
For the days we put on our make-up and dress to our shoes, and for the days we pull the covers over our heads.
For times we pick up the phone and talk to the principal. Or the doctor. Or the person who hurt our feelings. And for the times we let the phone ring through to voicemail because we’re still gathering our courage.
For the stretch marks. Especially the ones on our brains and our hearts.
We are braver than we know.
Braver than we give ourselves credit for.
Braver than we think we can be.
This is for all the brave moms.
……….
“Shield” image credit digitalart via freedigitalimages.net
8 responses to “This is for All the Brave Moms”
Love this!! Thank you 🙂
Beth, this made me cry. I so needed it today. My cup has been feeling a little empty of late. I think Lent will be my time to get rid of, not worry about, and generally take control of “stuff”. Love you!
And for all of the daddies, too, especially the ones that stay-at-home. Because sometimes they don’t get enough credit and they need that support too, especially when society actually has very low expectations for them.
For the Mom’s who are STILL DAUGHTERS trying to balance their family and elderly parents and the HEART ACHE and DIVISION that creates
Yes! We spend our lives figuring out how brave we are when we: 1)Broach subjects with our almost grown children that make us very, very uncomfortable. 2)Have our children’s friends over when the house is an absolute disaster and you think their parents will judge you. 3) When you start letting your kiddos walk to school, get themselves out of the house in the morning when you are at work, and allow them to take on some responsibility you desperately want to hang on to!
We are all braver than we give ourselves credit for. Today, take 2 mins to think of all that you have had to do lately. Was it ideal? Was it what YOU wanted? Did you do it anyway? Celebrate your accomplishments even if they are small, even if it isnt what you wanted. You did it anyway and you are brave for pushing forward, or knowing when you needed a break. Hugs and good job to all of you Mamas out there. Thank you Beth, for helping us recognize ourselves for a minute.
P.S. I am good at saying this, but not good at practicing. 🙂
Thank you. Just thank you.