Being a Mom

Being a mom is the hardest thing I have ever done.

It is putting all of my energy and love and hope into someone else.  

It is someone else's actions affecting my happiness.

I am only as strong as my weakest child.

I am brave even when I am afraid.

I feed them, even if I have to crawl.

I protect them, even when it puts me in danger.

I hold on to relationships I do not want and let go of relationships I want to keep.

I choose a career and a home that fits their needs.

I choose what is best for them instead of what is best for me.

I have lost years of sleep.

I have destroyed my body.

I have spent 69 months breastfeeding and 40 months pregnant.

I fail.  Again.  And again.  And again.

To be honest, there are days that I want to run away.  

It is that hard.

Being a mom is a contradiction.

My children have the power to break my heart, but they are also the reason my heart beats.

I want to get away from them, but then miss them terribly.

They make me crazy and they keep me sane.

They are the reason I breathe and the reason I want to scream.

They are my greatest joy and my greatest fear.

Watching them grow fills me with happiness and nostalgia.

I can't wait for them to get to the next stage, but then mourn the last.

I celebrate their successes and catch them when they fall.

But being a mom is the best thing I have ever done.

My children have made me strong.

They have taught me how to give.

For them, I learned how to never give up.

To care for them, I have done things I never would have done for myself.

To protect them, I have gained courage I never knew I had.

To provide for them, I have pushed myself to the limit and found success.

To love them, I have learned selflessness.

To set an example for them, I have become a more honest and responsible human.

For them, I have become the best version of myself.

Although I fail them so often, they continue to amaze me with their resilience, their kindness, their goodness and their love.

When I see who they are becoming, I know I succeeded more than I failed.

And even on the hardest days, I love them more than breathing,

more than sunshine.

Parents say they will do anything for their kids

Burn down the world for them

Kill for them

Die for them

I continue to do anything for my kids

Burn down bridges and build new ones

Fight for them

Live for them

They are worth it.