The moment you find out you are going to be a mother, the
very minute your child enters this world, the very second you lay your eyes on
them for the first time is the very moment you understand the depth of what it
means to be a mother. You can dream, you can form ideas, you can place yourself
in the shoes of a mother, but nothing can quite bring the understanding of what
it means to be a mother until you yourself become one.

Becoming a mother is an incredibly beautiful thing.
Something I find remarkable about the world of motherhood is the instantaneous
ability to be able to relate to every mother you come in contact with. You
suddenly know what it feels like to have your heart walking outside of your
body. You suddenly know what it feels like to be exhausted, yet so alive at the
same time. You suddenly know what it feels like to need your space, but missing
those little kids once you finally have that space. The mom juggling toddlers
through the grocery store trying to keep them happy throughout the remainder of
the trip – you know how she feels. You entered into this crazy and exciting
world anticipating what was to come, but having no idea until you stared at it
right in the face. It is incredible how a group of mothers can sit down at a
table and immediately relate on so many levels simply because they are mothers.
We moms, we get this thing. Well, sort of. We get it and we don’t get it all at
the same time. This crazy, messy, trying, testing, beautiful, extraordinary,
amazing, incredible world of motherhood is so much more than we could ever get
in this lifetime.

I don’t know what these next 31 days are going to bring
about. Maybe there will be lessons I have learned. Maybe there will be words
spoken to my heart. Maybe there will be trials shared. Maybe there will be
victories won. Maybe there will be a little bit of everything in between. There
is one thing I am sure of and that is this: you and I will connect because we
share the bond that unites us as mothers. We will shed tears where mothers shed
tears. We will laugh where mothers find joy. We will relate though we may never
meet face to face because being a mother unites us in ways we ourselves can’t
even comprehend. The first year of motherhood has so many ups and downs, so
many adventures, so much to learn, so much to feel, and so much joy to be had.
Whether you are in your first year now, on your fifth year, on fiftieth year,
or just anticipating the arrival of your bundle of joy I hope you can find
community here in knowing that this is real motherhood. These words are
unfiltered. I want you to know there is someone who knows exactly what you are
facing, whether good or bad. I want you to know that there is so much more good
than bad, and oh so much joy to be found.  

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you stay awhile.

{Click the button at the beginning of this post to be taken
back to the 31 Days of The First Year of Motherhood intro post).