Week 31: A title to be earned

By Published On: July 10th, 2015

In last week’s blog, I wrote about how quickly time […]

In last week’s blog, I wrote about how quickly time seems to be slipping by and that I have a lot to get done before baby girl makes her appearance. I am happy to report that in just one week, things have drastically turned around for the better, and my best friend Stefanie and my mom have stepped in to save the day! They apparently have been planning my shower in secret, so I have much less to worry over than I thought. It’s amazing that as soon as I felt I had support, the burden was lifted; I started making decisions and every detail became clear. I’m talking shower colors, theme, food, guests—all of it.
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On Tuesday night, my mom and I chose a stroller online together, and then we gabbed over the phone for another hour about swaddles, swings, breastfeeding and all things baby. My mom and I are close, but this has been the most extensive baby talk we have probably had yet. I expressed to her last week that I had been feeling stressed over the pending decisions that I had to make, and that’s all it took for her to go into complete mommy-mode—which I needed desperately, even at 29 years old.
This has me thinking, what would I do without her? I think—no, I know—that we sometimes take our moms for granted. I admit that I am guilty myself. I love my mom more than anything, but I too have shrugged off her thoughtful advice or waited too long to return a call. This week it has just been really heavy on my heart the thought of how much my mom, and how much every mom, does for us. Mark my words, that behind every great woman or man (with a few exceptions), there is a woman rooting and cheering her child on, mostly on the sidelines or behind the scenes. That woman carries a torch for her child that burns more brightly than any other human on earth, earning her the title of mommy.
In the same respect, I feel this love works both ways, and the title of mommy (or mama if you’re from the South, like me), is earned—not given. Yes, your child comes into the world knowing you as mom, but many can be a mom by blood, and that does not make a mommy. Mommies and daddies want and deserve that title and that love from their children. They sacrifice, they respect, and they rise to the occasion for their babies of every age. I have been very, very fortunate to have a mama that supports me whenever I need her. I know that even though we don’t see eye to eye on every issue, she will be my support system and, more importantly, my friend until the end. She has earned her title, and I promise with every ounce of my being that I too will be deserving of that same name when my time comes.
I was on the phone with my lifelong friend Brooke on Wednesday, who is mommy to a beautiful 2-year-old boy, Liam. While we were on the phone he said, “I love you, mommy,” to which she giggled and responded, “That’s the best sentence in the world.”
I agree.