Motherhood and forgiveness

I have come to peace with an idea; sometimes as mothers, we are absolutely busy from morning until night with the business of raising our children, and that is OK. This is the job we signed up for, after all. Like the rest of you, I had absolutely no idea that it could ever be this all-consuming, passionate, exhilarating and heart-wrenching all at the same time. Nor that it could take up every waking (and sleeping) moment of my life at times.

So, join me, if you will, in forgiving yourself for not meeting every opportunity for career development or volunteer work or "me time" with enthusiasm, time and energy. Revel in the short short period of childhood (even if you are the mother of many and it seems that this may last half your life), and "wear proudly the badge of motherhood" as a dear friend and much-respected mother of four grown children encouraged me to do. Enjoy those extra-long nursing sessions, nights camping out, walks, gardening together, reading stories aloud by the hour. We will soon find ourselves alone again, with time aplenty to indulge "real life" as our children move on to live their own busy lives and have their own babies. Sit, breathe and pay attention to now, it won't happen again.