Happy Mother's Day

In Honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to share my thoughts on what motherhood is to me. 

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a Mom.

I had my future pretty much nailed down when I was in the 3rd grade.

When asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I could answer without hesitation,

"A Mom and a Teacher."

They both really go hand in hand right?

First and foremost I wanted to be a mom.  I wanted to love and care for children as my mom did for me.  Never in a million years did I think that my childhood dreams, plans, and goals would ever REALLY be what my future held for me.

Dreams Change.

Plans Change.

Goals Change.

For most anyway...

When I met Bill I knew that he was the man I would have children with,

The man that would stand by me for the rest of my life.  I knew that he was the man that would make my dream of being a mother come true.  

On a Beautiful October day my whole entire life I had lived to that point had purpose.  

My future had purpose.  I had purpose.  

I became a Mom. 

I can honestly say that I have never in my life felt the fulfillment I felt on that day. 

I never knew the depth of love a mother has for her children until I laid eyes on our perfect little girl.  

She was ours.

I loved her unconditionally, forever, to the core of my being.  

After having experienced what becoming a mom felt like, I knew it was something that we had to do again.

As any mother can bare witness to, with the birth of my second child the emotions were just as overwhelming as they were with the first.  Fulfillment, a sense of completion, and an intensified purpose in life.  

Becoming a mom is my greatest achievement in life.  Nothing I had done prior in life, nor anything I will do in my future will ever trump the day I became a mother the first time or the second time.  There is so much to being a mom that I did not comprehend when I decided it was what I would be when I grew up.  I did not realize that I would be the one to be taught on a daily basis by the little ones I gave life to.  I did not realize that my heart could hold so much love for two little beings. I did not realize the lengths I would go to protect them from hurt, pain, failures, ridicule, all the not fun aspects of life.  I did not realize how much I would ache and hurt myself to see them even the slightest bit sad or hurt.  I did not realize that I would yearn to give them everything their little hearts desired.  I did not realize that I could love two people with every ounce of who I was.  I did not realize that being a mother wasn't just something I would be when I grew up, but rather it would be the one title that completely defines me.

 I also did not realize that becoming a mother myself would give me a new appreciation for my own mother.

Simply knowing how deep of a love I have for my children is proof enough of how much my mother loves me.  

To know that someone loves me the way I love my children makes my heart swell.  

I want my mom to know just how much I love and appreciate her today, and everyday.  I want to thank her for loving me with such depth, commitment, and unconditionally.  

A Mother is an Angel on Earth,

Mom, you are my Angel.  

I love you.