The Sisterhood of Motherhood
I hate that video. You know, the one by the formula company that shows moms (and Mr Moms) having a showdown in the park...and it's all about their differences until a baby is rolling down an incline and then it all becomes about the people working together when a baby was in trouble.
It's a little poignant and I do laugh at a few of the things that are said but I don't like it. It focuses on what separates moms rather than what we have in common. I have little doubt that there are moms out there that have felt that division and feel as though every decision on mothering must be a closely guarded secret entering the battlefield of motherhood. I am sorry.
Vaginal birth or c-section, pain meds or natural, co-sleeping or crying it out, breast or bottle or some combination of the two. Going back to work or staying home, mobi wrap, baby bjorn or a stroller, Peg Perrigo or the Evenflo you can afford, cloth or disposable, jar food or 100% organic made at home, public, private or home school, sports or ballet, television or books.
If you are a mom you have felt judged for the choice that you have made in one place or another. These shouldn't be lines to draw a battle ground on, they are choices that you make based on what is right for...You! And you are the only one that can decide what is the right choice for you and your family, you and your husband, you and your child.
But this isn't about the battleground, this is about the Sisterhood.
The Sisterhood of Motherhood.
A sweet friend of mine used that term on Facebook earlier this week and it really hit me how desperately we need that Sisterhood. Because no matter what might be different about us, we all have one thing in common.
We are moms. We would give our left arm to save our child. We forego haircuts, basic grooming, and new shoes in order to give our children what they need. We would travel to the ends of the earth with toothpicks in our eyes to find a cure for what ails our children. We are moms.
I think about the women that are part of my life - women that encourage me, strengthen me, help me...and I am so blessed!
When I first became a mom, meals magically appeared on my doorstep - accompanied by the warm face of someone else that knew exactly what I was feeling. New mom, exhausted, overwhelmed, raging hormones and this baby that needed...everything. It was overwhelming in the best way possible. And nearly six years later some of those women are my greatest encouragers on this path of motherhood.
I have been so blessed on this journey as more moms have entered what I consider 'my' circle. We watch out for each other's kids and lend a hand whenever we can. We don't do drama. We genuinely care for the other. And whether it be a warm meal during a hectic week, watching kids while the other runs an errand, swapping childcare so that we both can breathe a little, carpooling, or a simple "How are you really doing?"...we have each other's backs.
I laugh about the day that a fellow mom arrived to drop some things off at my house. Her daughter came in with her, found our toys fascinating and they decided to stay for a bit. It wasn't long until the infamous (and sometimes embarrassing) thing came up - "I'm hungry!" So I did what moms do and found something for the little girl to eat and offered the mom a sandwich. Mom still mentions that I am her mommy-hero because I actually had leftover meatloaf to make a sandwich with.
It was nothing fabulous to me...it was just what a mom does - whether it is for her own children or the one that drops in. And I have thought back to that day many times, especially when thinking that I don't want to be a burden to someone else. It feels good to use a natural ability to help someone else. We should feel freer to embrace that gift than we do. Instead, too often we run around never wanting to inconvenience someone else.
We are moms. And we don't have to have done it all the same way. Your decisions are what are best for your family. Good for you! Mine are what make my family work - and that's a win for me. But we can still be a part of the Sisterhood of Motherhood...and I am thankful that I am!
It's a little poignant and I do laugh at a few of the things that are said but I don't like it. It focuses on what separates moms rather than what we have in common. I have little doubt that there are moms out there that have felt that division and feel as though every decision on mothering must be a closely guarded secret entering the battlefield of motherhood. I am sorry.
Vaginal birth or c-section, pain meds or natural, co-sleeping or crying it out, breast or bottle or some combination of the two. Going back to work or staying home, mobi wrap, baby bjorn or a stroller, Peg Perrigo or the Evenflo you can afford, cloth or disposable, jar food or 100% organic made at home, public, private or home school, sports or ballet, television or books.
If you are a mom you have felt judged for the choice that you have made in one place or another. These shouldn't be lines to draw a battle ground on, they are choices that you make based on what is right for...You! And you are the only one that can decide what is the right choice for you and your family, you and your husband, you and your child.
But this isn't about the battleground, this is about the Sisterhood.
The Sisterhood of Motherhood.
A sweet friend of mine used that term on Facebook earlier this week and it really hit me how desperately we need that Sisterhood. Because no matter what might be different about us, we all have one thing in common.
We are moms. We would give our left arm to save our child. We forego haircuts, basic grooming, and new shoes in order to give our children what they need. We would travel to the ends of the earth with toothpicks in our eyes to find a cure for what ails our children. We are moms.
I think about the women that are part of my life - women that encourage me, strengthen me, help me...and I am so blessed!
When I first became a mom, meals magically appeared on my doorstep - accompanied by the warm face of someone else that knew exactly what I was feeling. New mom, exhausted, overwhelmed, raging hormones and this baby that needed...everything. It was overwhelming in the best way possible. And nearly six years later some of those women are my greatest encouragers on this path of motherhood.
I have been so blessed on this journey as more moms have entered what I consider 'my' circle. We watch out for each other's kids and lend a hand whenever we can. We don't do drama. We genuinely care for the other. And whether it be a warm meal during a hectic week, watching kids while the other runs an errand, swapping childcare so that we both can breathe a little, carpooling, or a simple "How are you really doing?"...we have each other's backs.
I laugh about the day that a fellow mom arrived to drop some things off at my house. Her daughter came in with her, found our toys fascinating and they decided to stay for a bit. It wasn't long until the infamous (and sometimes embarrassing) thing came up - "I'm hungry!" So I did what moms do and found something for the little girl to eat and offered the mom a sandwich. Mom still mentions that I am her mommy-hero because I actually had leftover meatloaf to make a sandwich with.
It was nothing fabulous to me...it was just what a mom does - whether it is for her own children or the one that drops in. And I have thought back to that day many times, especially when thinking that I don't want to be a burden to someone else. It feels good to use a natural ability to help someone else. We should feel freer to embrace that gift than we do. Instead, too often we run around never wanting to inconvenience someone else.
We are moms. And we don't have to have done it all the same way. Your decisions are what are best for your family. Good for you! Mine are what make my family work - and that's a win for me. But we can still be a part of the Sisterhood of Motherhood...and I am thankful that I am!
Comments
Post a Comment
I love to hear from you!