I grew up with a very loving mother. In fact, I remember being little and thinking sometimes that my mother was smothering me with love. Ha! It was a daily given in my life for as long as I can remember back. Her love has always been something that has been the strength to my foundation for every thing in life. No matter what has happened or what I have chosen I know my mother loves me and there is nothing more valuable than that.
When I was a young adult and dating and even when Regan and I were first married, I was actually quite afraid to have kids. I wanted it badly but it was also absolutely terrifying to me. I had seen my own mother and how hard it was to parent and the heartache she had survived through as her children made choices that she took personally. Regan and I talked a lot about it and I always knew that I wanted kids. It was all I wanted to be when I grew up, but it was still totally and completely scary to me.
I still remember first finding out that I was pregnant with Alden. And I remember the hours I spent barfing. Out my car door, in the garbage by my desk at work, grocery store bathrooms. I barfed constantly and everywhere. And I was still so excited about the idea of being a mom.
In the weeks leading up to his delivery and becoming a mom, I was randomly calm about the whole thing. I had received peace about my role as a mother and how I KNEW that God would help me. I knew that I wouldn’t be perfect at it. In fact, I knew i’d make mistakes. But I also had faith and trust that God would make up where I lack.
The relief and experience of delivering a baby is almost hard to describe. But I’ll never forget the physical relief as well as emotional from hearing the voices of the doctor as Alden was born. “It’s a boy” “Holy cow, this is a huge baby”. “You did it Rhonda.” So many words of support and love coming at me. And then them handing me my firstborn. Locking eyes with Regan and feeling the power of love in our little family unit was eternal and indescribable. This was what I was called to do. And nothing that I wanted more.
Since then we have added 4 more kids to our family. And each one has been a challenge and a joy. Motherhood is no joke. It is physically tiring and exhausting. NOTHING pushes and challenges me more. And nothing competes with the joy I feel with it. Regan and I LOVE being parents. We love our children. I have so many many moments when I am completely at a loss of what to do. I actually have no idea how to be a mother. But I am trying every single day. And trying to put my very best into doing it. My children are the world to me and I am so very grateful that I get the opportunity to be involved in raising them. I get to spend my time nurturing them.
Motherhood is something that affects every living human. Whether you birthed them, adopted them, buried them, lost them, – our children are always a part of us.
Motherhood is something to be celebrated and supported and encouraged in every culture and country. Physically supported. Monetarily supported. Emotionally Supported. Love is not a burden, it is the reason behind everything. The power and strength of a country and even humanity comes back to the cradle and the homes where the babies are raised.
There is a United Nations town hall meeting today with the UN Secretary General that will be full of people who are hostile to the family and working against it on all fronts. Their voices are heard above the voices of parents, and we’d like to give you a chance to help our voices be heard and, even better, the Ambassadors and delegates will hopefully take notice of it!
Here is our initiative that we need urgent help with starting now and going over the weekend. We’re focusing on one thing at a time and tomorrow this is the goal: to testify about motherhood NOT being a burden.”
I am proud to be a mother. So very proud. I love these humans with my whole heart.
Please, please, please share the love you feel for being a mother, for your own mother, for motherhood, for your desire to be a mother. Even if you feel like this won’t affect you, more voices add power. Every voice of support is needed. For more info go go to: http://unitedfamilies.org/motherhood-2/motherhood-not-burden/
And we need it today.