The second you become pregnant you feel like you’ve joined a club. You start buying baby clothes instead of clothes for you, discussions with your husband revolve more about your next OB appointment and breast feeding than politics or current events, you start noticing other pregnant moms and cooing at every baby that comes by in a stroller. Your world literally changes.
But it isn’t until you have that baby that you’re really in the club. The motherhood club. Once you’re at home and not sleeping with belly flab, stretch marks and sore nipples do you really get to be a full-fledged card-carrying member. When you love that little person more than anything in the world and realize you’ll give up anything for them do you really get it.
You get the whole motherhood thing.
As a little girl I dreamed of being a mother. A mommy. I would carry my dolls around and dream of the cute clothes I got to buy for my own baby someday. I babysat as much as I could and started babysitting young. I was always the little girl holding someone’s baby at family functions or church, the kid toddlers followed and climbed on and the teenager who gave up going to the party to babysit for her favorite kids.
But it wasn’t until I held my own baby that I GOT it.
This is a HARD club to be in. The toughest around. With the best and worst benefits. It’s by far the dirtiest job I’ve ever had and not always fun. Since joining the club I’ve been the saddest and happiest and maddest and proudest and busiest I’ve ever been.
And yet.
It’s a club some women would do anything to be a part of. It’s one men can never join. And it’s one you never retire from. Once you are in the club you’re a lifetime member.
It’s a blessing to be in this club. An honor. It’s a membership you can’t take lightly.
It’s like a secret club because you only understand what it means to be a member when you officially join, and yet everyone knows when you’ve joined! It’s the biggest non-secret secret club around for sure!
And today is OUR DAY! The ONE day a year our club is truly celebrated! And I can’t help but smile when strangers on the street smile at me and my three young children and wish me a Happy Mother’s Day! Especially b/c I usually get looks of pity as I hold three small hands while crossing a parking lot.
SO Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Moms out there!
Kim and I are working on our Mother’s Day but I hope the rest of you are enjoying a day that truly makes you feel loved and appreciated! We know some awesome moms (we HAVE awesome moms/moms-in-laws) and WE celebrate YOU today too!
Enjoy your day ladies! You deserve it!
Well said! Happy Mother’s Day, Jodie & Kim!!! Hope you get some time to snuggle with your beautiful little (and big) ones at day’s end!