"Just a Mom"

Well, it's a gloomy day here today so the little man and I are stuck (again) indoors for the duration...37 degrees and raining, I say bleh! It wouldn't be so painful if we hadn't been in quarantine for the past 10 days or so with our first baby cold...and what a learning curve that is. It just breaks your heart when your little one is sick, doesn't it?

Today I wanted to talk about something that has been on my mind. As you know from previous posts, most of my life to this point has been spent in school or working, and I recently quit to stay home with our baby. This has definitely been a huge adjustment, as I had gotten so used to being away from home all day. Having careers as a nurse and then a nurse practitioner were both challenging, exciting, scary, and rewarding. People depended on me for everything from advice to lifesaving intervention. And then one day, it all stopped and I found myself at home away from all of that. I have struggled somewhat with what I call the "Groundhog Day" effect...every day is much the same. As a new mom you spend time changing diapers, rocking, playing, soothing, feeding, etc. It doesn't take long to start thinking that what your doing is neither noticed nor appreciated. Heck, most days you don't even put on makeup or "real" clothes, and getting a hot shower or bath to yourself is a luxury! After weeks of these feelings building up, I expressed them to my husband who, holding our son, pointed to him and said, you think this is a waste of time?? Look at how much you have accomplished! And there's nobody else in the world who can do this job like you do.

I guess what I am trying to express is that, like many new mothers, I had begun to think that unless I was getting up and tackling the world abroad every day that my life had no meaning - a sentiment too often echoed in our society today. Nobody cared how well I kept James on his schedule or how clean or well-fed and happy he was. And nobody sure noticed all the hard work it took to then fit in laundry, cooking and cleaning into the day as well. But I was wrong. If you're still reading this I'm guessing there's a good chance you are not only female but a mother yourself. So, today I want to offer encouragement to you and myself as well that the gift of motherhood is a high calling. No matter what else you do in life, it is the most important "job" in the world. Next time you find yourself thinking, or telling someone, "I'm just a mom", remind yourself that it is truly a privilege to be the conduit of God's love to your precious little ones.

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her."  ~Proverbs 31:2