Salee Reese

“Making the decision to have a child—it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”     —Elizabeth Stone

I don’t know about you, but that speaks to me. I have two sons, and although they’re full-fledged adults now, they’re never far from my heart-thoughts.

From the earliest days of changing diapers and changing diapers and changing diapers, I’ve experienced degrees of joy and warmth I never thought possible. But I’ve also experienced degrees of frustration and anguish I never thought possible, too.

Nope, motherhood is not for the faint of heart. It exhausts and tests you to the point of wondering why you ever signed up for it in the first place. I could say it challenges you to grow—that’s true, but it’s more accurate to say it forces you to grow.

There were times—humble times—when I knew that staying stuck in the old me was merely going to make matters worse. I had to change. I simply had to upgrade my way of seeing and doing things.

Yes, my sons have been my teachers in many respects, and I thank them for that. They’ve made me a better person, but most of all, they’ve made my heart grow bigger.

4 Responses

  1. Yes! This gig is HARD but I wouldn’t change a single thing. Motherhood has forced me to take a good look at myself. I want to do better for my children and I have to grow to do so.

  2. Neither of you are giving yourself the credit due! Life and children don’t force us to grow. We each have that choice to grow to be wonderful moms or not. If we were all forced to do so then their wouldn’t be children out there needing loving , caring moms. The greatest mother in the world club is a very elite group of women! It is not easy to get into this club. You have to have a heart bigger then your chest, willing to work 24-7 for the rest of your life as needed. You will have to put your blood, sweat and tears into raising them all in the hope that you do a good job because you can’t go back and use white out to fix your mistakes. I know many women who can not step up to the challenge . Other women that ask why would you want to be in a club like that. For those of us that are in the club we all know why we want to be in this club and no amount of words can explain the love we get and give. So pat your self on the back for making such an amazing decession to join because you weren’t forced you had a choice and only you could make that choice!