Warrior Wednesday -“Any woman can be a mother, but it takes a warrior to be a Mom.”

Deciding to be a Mom is not a decision to be made lightly. It is a promise to love, nurture and sacrifice. Not just for 18 years, but for a LIFETIME. All in due time you will discover that a “Mom” is not just pushing your cute baby around the park in a stroller, and actually it’s not a “walk in the park” AT ALL! This job holds a very prestigious title and it cannot just be handed to you, it must be earned. And if you are doing it right, oh mercy, will you EARN it!

You know what I’m talking about, I can already see you shaking your head, YES! Beginning with the nights you have a crying baby, that you just CANNOT console. The only thing that will get them to stop crying is walking them up and down the stairs for hours, and if you stop, they wake up. You FINALLY get to lay down and close your eyes, but NOPE, not tonight Mama! You are getting NO REST!

You don’t know where the energy comes from, it’s just there because it HAS to be. It’s like some kind of super power we get at the time of conception, plus maybe a little coffee. We push through each day like it’s nobody’s business, because that’s just what we do!

There are no timeouts or sick days. If we are sick, we keep on pushing. Yes, there are those occasional “date nights” or Mom’s night out, and if there isn’t, there SHOULD be! For YOUR OWN sanity AND everyone else’s. Trust me on this one. But all those other days, all 365 a year, minus a few, we are ON CALL 24/7! Even when they go to a friend’s to spend the night, we worry. They are part of you, your heart and intuition. There IS no break from THAT!

If you didn’t know, there are many qualifications and skills you must have, or soon acquire when “applying” for this job. You will be required to perform the following duties: counselor, cook, maid, house cleaner, personal ATM, planner, teacher, dishwasher, coach, taxi driver, butt wiper and you better get a good washing machine because there is laundry, LOTS of laundry!

We sacrifice our time, energy and own personal lives to do what’s best for THEM. We don’t come first anymore. If they need new winter boots, but there’s this new “to die for” pair of kicks you want, but only have the money for one, you guessed, you buy the BOOTS! Priorities come first. A roof over your head, food on the table, bills to be paid and all that love that you can give.

Just to keep things REAL, none of us are perfect! We ALL mess up. But the beauty of that, is to know you’re not alone. We forget to sign that note for school, yell at our kids and then feel bad about it, let them watch TV for a bit longer because they have been up your butt all day and you just need a break! We all have days that we put the cereal in the fridge, the milk in the cupboard. We forget Johnny has football practice tonight, you didn’t have time to shower that day, Billy and Bob are fighting in the backseat and the baby is crying. By the end of the day you want to pull you hair out, but you find yourself hiding in your bedroom closet, just to take a moment and BREATHE!

But oh, that first time you heard the word “Mama,” all that sleep lost and labor pains were worth it! The cute little laughs, first tooth, first steps all the way through the soccer games and award ceremonies. The sense of love and pride you have is indescribably the BEST feeling in the world!

And you SHOULD be proud, every step of the way. You put someone else’s well-being ahead of your own. You teach the hard lessons and the right thing to do, even when you’re not sure what the right thing is. You forgive yourself over and over again for doing everything wrong, even if you’re doing it right. You are not just a MOM, you are a WARRIOR!

By Courtney Salapek

Thank you for your time, likes and shares. Comments and feedback are always welcome! Stay tuned for more to follow on Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s. Have a blessed day!