Everyone's journey into motherhood is different. For some it's accidental, for others it's a decade long struggle. Some mothers get the joy of carrying their little one inside them, while others experience the excitement of seeing their sweetheart after looking at photos for months, or at times years, as they undergo the adoption process. No matter how your motherhood journey began, all mothers experience the same love, worry and joy that comes with sacrificing your own wants and desires to care for another.
Becoming a mother was always a life long dream of mine. I was blessed with a mother who lived in a way that made me believe being a stay at home mom was the best job in the world. So after several years of marriage, when both Mr. Truman and I felt ready, we started trying for a baby. While our experience of negative pregnancy tests was difficult, and disheartening, it was brief compared to the struggle and heartbreak of so many others. And eventually the test came back positive, and my own motherhood journey began.
I knew the rough details of what the journey would be like, the major milestones along the way. Pregnancy. Birth. Long nights. Tiny toes. I had everything I thought I would need from my registry, and felt like I was properly "packed" and ready to start the journey. All I needed now was for my little one to join me.
While in many ways I was as prepared as I could be, I think it's impossible for any mother to truly be 100% ready no matter how their little angle comes into their life. Nothing can quite prepare the heart for all the emotions. No book, no blog, no online course can teach you what it is to selflessly love another, the way a mother loves her child.
On October 14th, my son was born into this world, and I quickly learned how unprepared I was. I wasn't prepared for what the birth would be like, or the recovery. I wasn't prepared for what it would be like to nurse, or how to cope with so little sleep. And even now, three months into this journey, I continue to find myself unprepared. Of course I plan. I read. I ask other mothers for advice. But I've had to come to grips with the fact that this beautiful lifelong journey of motherhood is something that will always catch me by surprise. And that's ok. There's something precious about learning right alongside my little one. Growing together.
Wherever you are on your motherhood journey. Whether you've been at it for years, or months. Recognize that it's impossible to always be prepared for what life brings your way. Find the beauty that comes with growth. Hold your child's hand and walk your journey together, each learning your own lessons of life.
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