Motherhood can be summed up in one word: kids. Without them, I would be enjoying sleep and eating snacks alone. With my kids, I enjoy yelling fun phrases like, “Turn that down!” and “Take off your shoes in the house!” and “Who finished up the toilet paper and didn’t replace the roll?” every week.

Being a mother is hard. At least so said my children when I asked them what they thought it was like to be one. Perhaps I’m not doing a very good job if they unanimously claimed that it must be hard, stressful, and exhausting. Or perhaps they are the problem… 

There was some acknowledgment from one that it must be mentally taxing, having to make decisions galore each day, and maybe even fruitless, since no one listens to me, according to another. I was told by yet another child that the learning experience that is motherhood is likely filled with highs and lows. While one offspring assumed it was rewarding, another one told me that I was sad as a mother! Yikes! For clarification, this child is not my favorite. Just kidding! The sentiment behind that statement was that there must be times when it is sad for me, not that I put forth a pretty pathetic showing as a mother (whew!) . At any given time, however, I suppose either could be true.

I do not have profound take-aways from their responses, but I did learn a valuable lesson about asking my children open-ended questions. There is truth to each statement, though. Sometimes, as a mother, you want nothing more than to be “seen”. For your work to be noticed. For the tough bits to be recognized. For validation, even, when the going gets rough. But I also know that I do not want my children’s memories woven with misery. 

I am certain the happy times far outweigh the difficult times. I am sure there is sweet communion between mother and child more than there is discord. Certainly they do their chores without being told more than when they need constant reminding. Ha ha, that was a joke. Only a Super Mom could manage that kind of training. 

Speaking of super moms, I am definitely more than a little annoyed that out of all the attributes my mother passed on down to me, being as awesome as she was and is at being a mother isn’t one of them! As a child, many of her sacrifices and talents went right over my head. Now that I am a mother, the realization of all she did and the exhaustion with which she must have done it explains why she let me get married at 19! Joke’s on her though because I still need her and she still is a better mom than I’ll ever be. Thankfully, Mom continues to exemplify patience, wisdom, and love to her grown children and we are absolutely blessed because of her mothering.  ♥️

I love my children. I love helping them, teasing them, watching them grow and thrive, being with them, and hiding my snacks from them. I love them even when there are times I do not like them (rather, what they are doing). I love hearing them laugh and witnessing when they work, play, or learn together. I love telling them to do their chores. I love that they give me hugs and want to sit next to me. I love being their mother. 

It is unclear how hard I work, or how exhausted I am, or how stressful it is at any given moment, but in the words of one of my Neanderthal children, “Mom work hard, because Mom love offspring, but rewarding, because offspring love Mom.”