At what point does a mother fall in love with her child? Is it at the exact moment she finds out she is pregnant? Is it once the baby is born and love at first sight? Maybe it's during the toddler years as the baby develops, or maybe the affection grows slowly and strongly through the years. It is suppose to be the greatest unconditional love felt between two people. How could it not?....when the tiny being you created is a part of you.
For me, the love I feel for my son has flourished and transformed itself through the years. Those grueling 14 hours of labor and the pain of an emergency c-section were all worth it. The moment I first held him, my heart melted. It began as a sweet and tender emotion, full of fear and a desire to protect him at all hours. It was also a remarkable sense of pure joy with each new discovery he made. Every hug, every kiss, every I love you, we shared strengthened our tender, yet strong bond. I promised myself that he would always know how much he means to me.
Even now, a few days before his fifteenth birthday, we are still close. Sure, he may not need me as much anymore, and it has been years since I read him a bedtime story. But now, our love is rainy afternoons full of hilarious card games, or when he tells me, “Mom, come watch a movie.” Even through the very difficult and patience-enduring teen years, I know I have shown him what it means to love. I feel it in every spontaneous hug he gives me or when he reaches for my hand as I am driving. It’s in every Sunday morning pillow fight and in every “Mommmmmm” I hear throughout the day.
I am not exactly sure of the precise moment in time when a mother falls in love with her baby, but I am sure that it must happen first to the mother so that the child feels cherished and in turn is able to love her back. Love is more than a pretty house or a meal served. It is more than a new pair of shoes, clean laundry, or a ride home after school. A mother's affection is like no other. It is simultaneously the greatest gift and ultimate sacrifice.
Mindful Moment: Thank you for choosing me to be your mom. I promise to love you now and forever.
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