51 REASONS I LOVE BEING A MOTHER

This week I listened to an episode of the Boss Up! podcast for momtrepreneurs entitled “When Bad Attitude Trumps Good Work” This episode was geared toward the business end of things, but my mind immediately went to my attitude towards motherhood lately. I know my “why” for my creative ventures, but my “why” for choosing to make motherhood a priority has gotten a little murky. To be completely honest, I have even been feeling like motherhood is in the way of the other things that I want to do with my life when really motherhood was a vital part of the foundation for my desire to look outside of the box and merge creativity with work. At the end of the podcast, Lindsay Teague Moreno suggests the action step of listing 51 reasons why you love what you do to help remove negativity from your work. We are truly blessed as women, to live in a time where we get to choose what life looks like for us. We can choose to work outside of the home, inside of the home, or to focus our energy completely on raising our children. This is not an era where this is decided for us. I want positivity to surround what my husband and I have decided that this looks like for us, so I’m choosing to write this list of 51 reasons I love being a mother. Let’s be clear, we are currently in a season of sleep deprivation and daily frustration from the antics of the 2-year-old causing the sleep deprivation for himself and everyone else in the home, so coming up with 51 reasons is going to be HARD. To my fellow mama’s that are struggling to love motherhood in whatever season you are in, know that you are not alone. To childless mama’s out there who want nothing more to be a mother in every sense of the word, but are facing one obstacle after another, I see you and I know your struggle (to an extent)…please know that my struggle on this end of things is not meant to invalidate yours.

So here goes…

1. Hearing “Good Morning, Mommy!” with bedhead and big smiles.
2. Comforting/using my nursing skills to care for them when they are sick.
3. Seeing their excitement as they learn/accomplish new things.
4. The snuggles.
5. Taking in their unique scents that I’ve become most familiar with as I’ve held them close.
6. Chunky baby thighs.
7. Watching their relationships with influential people in my life grow.
8. Seeing my siblings love on my kids.
9. Being pregnant (not currently, when I was pregnant!). Anticipating new life.
10. Hearing them learn new words and seeing their excitement as their communication is understood.
11. Being called “Honey” (G) and “Mom-Mom” (H) for a phase around age 2.
12. The look on their faces when I get home from work.
13. The fact that they don’t want me to leave to go to work.
14. Being the one they want when they don’t feel well.
15. Discovering funny word associations that they come up with on their own. (For example, nothing related to Greyson can be “pretty”, I have to call it “cool”.
16. My boys are not twins in the literal sense of the word, but they look so much alike and I have too much fun matching them. Hey, I won’t be able to get away with this forever!
17. Warm cheek kisses when they wake up in the morning or from a nap.
18. Seeing their creativity when they play independently.
19. Seeing Greyson’s sweet face when I encourage him for serving me or someone else well.
20. Watching them build/navigate friendships. It is so interesting to see who they gravitate to, who you have to watch them more closely with (some kids bring out each other’s inner trouble maker), who they instinctively lead, who they pick on and who picks on them (typically based on age, rather than specific characteristics). It is also amazing to watch how quickly they forgive and move on.
21. Watching their friendship with each other grow.
22. Seeing how they’ve grown their cautious, ER nurse-mama with their adventurous, risk-taking spirits. We were talking bubble wrap and avoiding stairs before they were born. Now I’m just happy if they look before they jump.
23. Watching them play with their daddy.
24. Their giggles.
25. That I can comfort them when they cry.
26. They make me better. (I have a love-hate relationship with this because it usually involves deeper revelation of how selfish I am, but I can acknowledge that it is a good thing. It is growth.)
27. Hearing conversations they have with each other and friends.
28. Talking about them with Mark after we’ve put them to bed.
29. Putting “Greyson-isms” into our conversations with each other.
30. Their “booty-dance”. Think dorky, not inappropriate. Trust me it is funny.
31. Seeing them make each other laugh.
32. Seeing an aspect of our faith sink in for them.
33. Hearing them pray.
34. I honestly feel like it is easier to make friends as a mom than it ever was before. You skip the awkward setting up of the first hangout by getting a “play-date” on the calendar (we all know those are more for the moms than they are for the kids.) You have built-in conversation starters because we can relate to the craziness that is motherhood.
35. I am the expert in parenting my children. Usually, that expertise comes in hindsight but I still finally feel like an expert in something. And then the little ninjas change things up. Ha!
36. Watching my oldest teach my youngest. This is soooo fun! Now if only Greyson could recognize that what he is trying to do with Henley is what I try to do with him.
37. Motherhood has enhanced my pediatric nursing practice.
38. The community that comes along with motherhood. Like I said above it is easier than ever for me to make friends, but I also feel a sense of community with the mom that I pass in Target as their kid is throwing a Level 1 (being the most severe on the scale) tantrum about not buying the RED snacks. Solidarity sister!
39. That I have the power to influence them more than anything else in this phase. This is simultaneously comforting and terrifying.
40. Seeing holidays anew from their perspective.
41. Hearing Greyson say, “Maybe Siri can help,” when I don’t know the answer to his question. Haha!
42. Watching them explore places that are so familiar to me, like my parent’s and grandparent’s farms.
43. My ability to share real motherhood so that others may not feel so alone.
44. That God’s grace allows me to be a good mom and that God’s grace reveals my shortcomings through motherhood and leads me to see my need for Him, renewing my affections for Him.
45. Seeing my capacity to love.
46. God has revealed more of Himself and His love for me as a Father in motherhood.
47. Motherhood has given me a greater respect for time and its limits.
48. I am raising the future generation of men.
49. Little boys love their mama’s well. (I don’t have girls, so I can’t really compare but I certainly feel the love from my boys.)
50. Watching them mimic us. Most of the time (thus far!) they mimic the good stuff. Greyson will pretend to be a baby and Henley will say and do everything that we do to comfort him. It is so sweet/funny!
51. They are so quick to forgive. If you are ever having a rough parenting day, just ask your kids for forgiveness and let go. My sweet Greyson says, “It’s okay, Mom, I forgive you.”

AND now I’m a puddle of tears. I started this list at the beginning of today, and while it was hard to get all the way to 51, I was halfway through in no time at all. Starting my day thinking about all the reasons I am blessed to be a mother, truly helped me to keep perspective as the day went on (read: keep my attitude in check.) I feel sense of renewal in my mission for motherhood. There is purpose in the messes and the long days. I am raising up men and God is sanctifying me in the process.

Is there an area of your life that you have chosen but are now feeling a lot of negativity in? I want to challenge you to do this exercise too and let me know how you feel after in the comments below!