Realizing The True Meaning Of Gratitude

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As Sayle’s first birthday comes closer by the day, I cannot help but look at his first year and wonder where the time has gone.  I honestly feel like it was just yesterday that I was waddling around my house, pregnant and attempting every possible way to get my water to break. 

Ever since I found out I was pregnant with Sayle, I have been in heaven.  As I have said before, I do not think I could possibly accomplish anything greater than having a child and I am truly a proud mother.  I am also an extremely grateful mother.  I’m sure all mothers are grateful in some respects, but I am sincerely grateful for being given the opportunity to be Sayle’s mother.

At one point, my husband and I thought we would not be able to have children as we found it difficult to get pregnant.  We thought we were never going to experience sleepless nights, formula barf, poopy diapers, and all the fun things that parents get to do.  My husband and I had to confront the nightmare of the possibility we were never going to have children, and that is not a place I would ever wish on anyone as it is a dark place.  This is a nightmare that most people never even have to fathom because getting pregnant is easy-right?  People do it all the time without even trying!    

In hindsight, we became pregnant easily–not as easily as most people do, but easily enough.  What felt like my own personal hell, was really a walk in the park compared to what some couples go through in order to have a child.  But since I experienced this nightmare first hand, being a mother is just that much more valuable to me.  I embrace sleepless nights.  I will gladly change millions of dirty diapers.  If Sayle barfed in my face every week, I would smile straight through it.  Most things that are considered an inconvenience or the “ugly side” of being a parent, doesn’t even phase me.  You see, the “bad side” of being a parent does not even compare to not being a parent at all.

I am grateful that I had to go through what I had to go through in order to be a mother because I do not take one second for granted.  I know that there are women out there that would do almost anything to have a child and to trade places with me or you.  Getting caught up in the trivial day-to-day issues that moms have to deal with is so easy.  We really do carry the weight of the world on our shoulders some days, but that is our job, that is what we signed up for, and it truly is a blessing. 

As a mother, I encourage all of you to recognize the beauty of being a mother and to not take one second for granted.  I would also like to recognize the women who are still on their quest to become mothers and who have to take the difficult road to the end of their journey.  Regardless of how a child came to you, a mother’s heart is a full one.