Wednesday, November 30, 2011

This Too Shall Pass: A Mommy Mantra

That's exactly what it is: my mommy mantra. This too shall pass. The reality is, motherhood is hard. Don't get me wrong. It's enriching, amazing, thrilling, and beautiful. But it's also hard.

For a while there, the Mommy is everything. Especially if you are breastfeeding, because then you are a food source and pacifier. And then attachment comes, and it's all-mommy-all-the-time for many of us. It's hard not to lose yourself. There's the gamut of developmental phases and mother-child experiences: breastfeeding, attachment, colic, teething, diapering, etc. We all know that list can go on and on. I doubt there is not one of us that hasn't broken down, wondering what to do and for how much longer (if you haven't, how lucky you are!). The sleep deprivation alone will get you.

I had my moments in the beginning where I wondered, how much more?? Breastfeeding pain in the beginning. Colicky crying and my sons constant need for movement was challenging, to say the least. People would tell me: "it'll get better." I remember feeling like better was an eternity away.

But, it wasn't. It did get better. It passed. It always does. They go through phases and they grow up fast. And while one phase inevitably leads to another that has it's own challenges, it helps me most to remember, especially when the only way out is through: this too shall pass. Then you realize, this little person is creating himself in front of your eyes, and that's a complicated, challenging thing. And it's amazing. And it's worth all of it.

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