This past Mother’s Day seemed to be more special to me than most have over the past few years. Being a stepmother has been such an extremely demanding role over the past 5 years that I know only those who’ve been in the situation can truly understand. I think my heart hurt a little for those stepmothers who sacrifice their own feelings and needs to put another child(ren) from a failed marriage first – and I know almost all of them spent Mother’s Day away from those same children. I try to look at it two ways, the first being that yea it does suck a little and I should get to spend Mother’s Day with the children I mother – but the second way I look at it is I get a little break from the kids for the day and I get to spend it with my boo, along with celebrating other friends and family. Glass half full I guess you could say.
The other portion of this that had me appreciating just women in general is how we all mother more than just our children. Women who are aunts, cousins, grandmothers often mother children in their families or children of friends. We mother the men in our lives by providing unity and routine in our homes. We make our house a home in the ways we furnish with things our men say we don’t need but yet find themselves enjoying. We provide compassion and a safe place for them to be weak when times are tough, much like a mother does for a child.
We mother our friends when they’re going through a rough time and need advice or just someone to listen to. When they’ve had a procedure or find themselves in need, we’re making meals and checking up on them much like their mother would. We mother our pets – as if this needs any explanation! Pets are basically fur children that need to be fed and cared for and also get hurt and sick requiring someone to love them and nurse them back to health – much like a mother. We mother our employees, always wanting the best for them and encouraging them when they’re experiencing difficulties at work. And sometimes we mother our own mother – yes it does happen! As our parents get older we find ourselves questioning their activities that seem too much or concerning ourselves with their health and routines. Sometimes we even have to be the ones to take care of our mothers who have fallen ill or hurt themselves.
I tell my friends all the time I truly believe women ruled the world in a far away time. We are total beasts at multi-tasking, caring for children and others, being a homemaker, and running our jobs and our lives – we literally do it all. We can be savage with a broken heart and love like no one else for those deserving of such amazing love. Women are just simply amazing!
Think of the women in your life and how they’ve been there for you in ways a mother may have. Consider all you’ve done for those in your life and allow yourself to bask in the amazingness that is you woman!
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