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| The look of a mother's love... |
I am one of the lucky ones. My little one is able to go to her Nana and Poppop's everyday instead of having to go to daycare. As a bonus, my hubby and I basically live in their backyard, so picking up and dropping off is very simple and convenient. To add icing to that cake, we work about 5 minutes from our house, so we are able to go home almost everyday at lunch to see her.
Today I had a very short lunch, as I was coming from one meeting and on my way to the next. But I figured I'd still go see Sabrina, even if it was only for 20 minutes. We snuggled and were playing, and next thing I know, she was sitting at her Nana's feet, reaching for her. I then stooped to a new low by trying to bribe her with her bink to come back over to me. She giggled and sat at her Nana's feet. I distracted her again with a couple toys, and as the time was nearing for me to leave, she again crawled to her Nana and wanted to be held. I tried to pretend I didn't care, tried to act like it didn't bother me. I went back to work with a heavy heart. I know she spends all day with her Nana and I love that she loves her, but I'm mommy... Why didn't she want me?
In her (my) defense, she was tired and ready for a nap. Nana usually puts her down for her naps. So it was totally logical for her to want Nana. Right? So why did I feel so rejected, so sad?
I tried to take a step back from my emotion, from my sadness, to look at it objectively. And then I realized that, even though it is perfectly normal for me to feel sad, I should also be happy and proud of my baby girl. I am a woman who is proud of her independence, and at the same time proud to have wonderful people in my life who I can depend on, who I can trust. Isn't that exactly what my Sabrina was doing when she wanted her Nana? She knows that I am her mommy, of that I am sure. But she feels comfortable enough in her own (9 month old) skin and environment to trust others, to give and get love from those around her. To use a cheesy phrase, she doesn't put all her eggs in one basket.
The emotional rollercoaster of being a mother is something that I struggle to deal with. I am doing my best to cope with the emotions, but I find myself reacting not only to my own emotions but to those of other mothers. Today my Facebook News Feed was full of first day of school pictures, many of the kids off to their first day of Preschool or Kindergarten. I have to admit, I had tears well up in my eyes several times seeing those special moments captured, knowing how happy yet sad all of those mothers (and fathers) must be feeling. While reading fellow blogger and my blogging inspiration Kate Baer recount her son's first day of preschool, I myself imagined being in Kate's shoes, a few short years from now. Time goes so fast now that I'm a mom, so I know that the first day of school will come far sooner than I am ready for.
As mothers, we are ecstatic at the milestones and achievements of our children. We celebrate first teeth and first steps and first everything else. Every birthday, every first day of school, every holiday, we smile and take pictures and document all of the memories. But behind those smiles, I know that with each step forward that our little ones take, that our hearts not only rejoice but are filled with nostalgia and a bit of sadness too. Because we know that time moves at warp speed and these moments are so fleeting.
So in my own way, I am standing in solidarity with Kate and all those other moms whose babies achieved a new milestone today, whether it be walking or talking or going to their first day of school. I experienced my own version of what I called joyful melancholy in a previous post, the happiness and sadness that washes over us at the same instant. It gives me great solace to know that I am not alone, and that many other mothers in the blogosphere are feeling those same things.
Cheers to another first, and moms, you're going to be okay. We're going to be okay.
To read Kate's blog, go to http://www.kbaer.com. You won't be sorry.
As mothers, we are ecstatic at the milestones and achievements of our children. We celebrate first teeth and first steps and first everything else. Every birthday, every first day of school, every holiday, we smile and take pictures and document all of the memories. But behind those smiles, I know that with each step forward that our little ones take, that our hearts not only rejoice but are filled with nostalgia and a bit of sadness too. Because we know that time moves at warp speed and these moments are so fleeting.
So in my own way, I am standing in solidarity with Kate and all those other moms whose babies achieved a new milestone today, whether it be walking or talking or going to their first day of school. I experienced my own version of what I called joyful melancholy in a previous post, the happiness and sadness that washes over us at the same instant. It gives me great solace to know that I am not alone, and that many other mothers in the blogosphere are feeling those same things.
Cheers to another first, and moms, you're going to be okay. We're going to be okay.
To read Kate's blog, go to http://www.kbaer.com. You won't be sorry.
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