Listen, mom-guilt is a dirty liar. Yes, it's your job to fill your little human's needs, but you matter too. Don't forget to take care of yourself. Hang out with friends, take a drive blaring 90's hip hop or shower without interruptions—trust me, you'll be a better person (and mom) because of it.
I realize now, firsthand, more facets of my mother's love for me. I viscerally understand the sleepless nights, the aches and pains, worries and unrelenting devotion even in the face of great challenge.
These women, open and generous, were unaware that their input was shaping my views on what it meant to be a mother. Their example, their work schedules, their parenting styles and reflections, helped me develop my own expectations and desires around motherhood. I listened to their advice and tucked it away, hoping that one day I would have the experience to understand what being someone's mom really felt like.
That it would be a joy to watch them grow up. But Mama, you never told me how quickly the time would pass; how the hours, the days, the weeks and the months would slip through my fingers so fast. That I would suddenly find myself looking at a child instead of a baby; a baby instead of a newborn; and beg time to be a little bit kinder and wait for me to catch up.
