Food and The Infinite Motherhood

Mother.

Being a mother is by far the most multi-faceted privilege that I, as a human being, have ever experienced.

Yes, that’s right, I said Privilege.

My view on parenthood has changed recently, and for the better I must say. When your children go to grandma’s for days on end, it’s life changing. The silence in the house at first was deafening. How ironic.

A mother gets so used to the sounds, touches and interactions that it almost becomes symbiotic. Being a mother involves all senses, and then some.

Sight: from the first moment after birth to every little facial expression and body language statements your children make, you see your child metamorphasize over time into the beautiful creature they will become.

Hearing: a mother’s sense of hearing is heightened. I remember being on the other side of the house and hearing the faintest of coos and cries over all other sounds in the house.

Touch: the touch of your child’s skin against your own is comforting and soothing. likewise with a mother’s touch for a child. Whether it be to magically cure a booboo or hold your sobbing child when his/her “world” is ending.

While there are other senses I won’t cover, the one I appreciate the absolute most is my “sixth sense”, or gut instinct. It actually saved my daughter’s life. One day while six months pregnant with her, I was just doing my normal daily routine when suddenly something just didn’t feel right. I couldn’t really pinpoint what I thought was wrong that day but I knew something was not good. Her father took me to the emergency room and sure enough, Anna’s heartbeat was erratic. After 6 weeks of bed rest, I gave birth to her in an emergency c-section. She was born 7 weeks premature but is very healthy to this day. If I had not trusted my instincts that one day, she would have died in the womb.

So it goes without saying. Being a mother is unlike any other position, job or responsibility on the face of the earth. I love my children whole heartedly. My kids are two amazing creatures that give me happiness and joy. Sure we have our rough patches when our personalities clash; that’s normal. But, at the end of the day, I look into my children’s eyes and think to myself, how lucky I am to be a mother.