I think this truly sums up the joy of motherhood!!!

A girlfriend who just had a baby a few months ago forwarded this to me. It's unbelievable how exact and true this is. Enjoy!



We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she
and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a
survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous
vacations."
But that is not what I meant at all.

I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to
know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.
I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but
becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she
will forever be vulnerable..
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper
without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash,
every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving
children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your
child die.


I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no
matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the
primitive level of a bear protecting her cub That an urgent call of "Mom!"
will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments
hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested
in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.

She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an
important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell.
She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home,
just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be
routine.

That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the
women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma.
That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming
children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against
the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.


However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself
constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she
will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about
herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a
child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring,
but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own
dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs. I want her to know that a
cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way
she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who
is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child.
I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for
reason s she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout
history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child
learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby
who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.

I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my
eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say.
Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a
silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who
stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

Please share this with a Mom that you know or all of your girlfriends who
may someday be Moms. May you always have in your arms the one who is in your
heart.

This goes double for Grandma's!!

 

A girlfriend who just had a baby a few months ago forwarded this to me. It's unbelievable how exact and true this is. Enjoy!



We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she
and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a
survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous
vacations."
But that is not what I meant at all.

I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to
know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.
I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but
becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she
will forever be vulnerable..
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper
without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash,
every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving
children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your
child die.


I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no
matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the
primitive level of a bear protecting her cub That an urgent call of "Mom!"
will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments
hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested
in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.

She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an
important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell.
She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home,
just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be
routine.

That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the
women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma.
That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming
children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against
the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.


However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself
constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she
will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about
herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a
child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring,
but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own
dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs. I want her to know that a
cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way
she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who
is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child.
I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for
reason s she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout
history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child
learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby
who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.

I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my
eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say.
Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a
silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who
stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

Please share this with a Mom that you know or all of your girlfriends who
may someday be Moms. May you always have in your arms the one who is in your
heart.

This goes double for Grandma's!!

 

Thats beautiful and now I'm crying . Thank you for sharing.

 

Gosh, that just made me lose it here at my computer desk How beautifully put and true!!

 

Thank you. **Sniff**

 

so lovely. have forwarded it to my own lovely mom. thank you.

 

That is so sweet, I'm going to send it to my gf who's pregnant.

 

Now I have to forward this on to all of my girlfriends.

Thanks for sharing!

 

Loved it. now I can't stop crying!

 

Yes, that is so exactly true! I'm going to send this to my Mommy.

 

Oh my gosh, this made me cry. How sweet and how true.

 

I am crying so hard...thank you for sharing that beautiful story and lesson. Oh WOW is all I have to say. We are so blessed to be women!

jen

 

Bawling like a baby here
even made DH cry...forwarding to my Mom

 

My mom is getting this too! Thanks for sharing it!

 

I was trying to articulate what is in this to my pregnant friend the other night, but could not at all do justice to what I was trying to convey. This is PERFECT!

I was bawling myself reading it. Now I will send to her and let her know what I was trying to tell her the other night .

 

I hadn't had my cry for the day- so it was about time... Wow - forwarding to my mom. Thanks..