What is a Mother's Love?
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by Kimberlea Chabot
A Mother’s Love is seeing the world through new eyesIt is letting go of the expectations of what you want your child to be and finding instead who they are It is the courage to start each day anew It is challenging the status quo to change the world your child will grow up in It is listening for the 'song' beneath your child’s words, finding the unspoken verse
A Mother’s Love is being a role-model when you don’t want to be It is weariness from being up all night with a teething toddler or from waiting for a child who has not come home It is knowing when to listen instead of lecture It is a warm soft embrace It is a bowl of rice krispies with heavy cream or a spoonful of homemade cookie batter
A Mother’s Love is feeling that first kick, the first movement of life from our own It is saying good bye when it would be easier to stay It is letting them try on their own It is is forever It is remembering the never-ending days in those blink-of-an-eye years
A Mother’s Love is being strong for your child when you just want to be a puddle on the floor It is recognizing your limits and accepting help It is a 5am wake up call or a last-minute project to complete It is simply holding hands It is the permanent ache in your heart for the child you have to live without
A Mother’s love is strong and compassionate and fierce It is loving those who don’t want a mother but still need one It is snuggling together, wishing time could just hold still a little longer It is patience in the midst of chaos It is standing outside of the children’s hospital and making it okay to go in
A Mother’s Love is preparing your child for the scrapes of life and the inevitable falls It is showing the importance of getting back up and trying again It is all encompassing It is boundless It knows no end
On this Mother’s Day, may we each find compassion for our own selves, for each other, and for all the beautiful and brave mothers in our lives, knowing each of us is doing the best we can at any given moment. When we encounter someone who is not at their best, may we be able to let go of judgment and simply hold a compassionate space for them. When we find we are the “someone” who is not at our best, may we be gentle with ourselves and remember we are not alone. This year, let’s be willing to be mothers to each other.
Kimberlea Chabot is the founder of a hyper-local resource for holistic living called Lucky Penny Found. Please visit www.luckypennyfound.com for more information. Kimberlea lives in West Hartford, Connecticut and considers her husband of 18 years and their three children to be both her greatest blessings – and her greatest challenge to living mindfully.
