By Taytum Marler

What does Mother’s Day mean? To give you the obvious answer, it is a day to celebrate mothers, but what exactly does it mean to celebrate being a mom? To fully appreciate our mothers, we must first understand who they are and how they think. To help understand some of the aspects of being a mom, I have interviewed four different mothers from various stages of life. Moms really do have a different power, and if God has called you to be a mom—you are among the strongest people out there!

From all the mothers I have talked with, there is a mutual agreement that the years go by too fast. Each one talked about how they did not expect their children to grow up so quickly; how the baby years would be gone before they could blink, even the challenging years will pass before you know it. One day you are changing diapers and wishing it will be the last one, and the next you are a grandmother, now taking care of grandchildren. It may not seem like it when you are in the trenches of motherhood, but it will all pass faster than you expect.

Being a mom means taking the good and the bad. According to one mom I interviewed, one of the hardest parts about being a mom was, “Thinking that you are always doing it wrong. Always feeling like you are screwing them up.” Motherhood is a process of growing and learning who you are as a person. You might not expect how much you will change as a person, when you have kids, you end up growing up with them. Another mom says that one of the harder things about being a mom was the discipline aspect, “You have to teach them right from wrong—left to themselves they will almost always choose wrong,” she went on to emphasize, “You are not their friend, you are the parent.” You also become so much more aware when you have kids, even insignificant things will become important because now they might influence your children. You come to this realization when you become a mom, that your child is a whole, individual human being that will end up making their own decisions. “Pieces of you are walking around independently from you, doing their own thing, and that can be very scary. You have to trust God to take care of them because otherwise you will go crazy with worry.”

There are always joys when it comes to motherhood too! One mother says this, “For me personally, I have taken being a mom very seriously—it was my job, my life. So whenever I think about my life and what I did with it, I am overcome with gratitude that I was able to be a mother to my children and that my husband was willing to work so I could stay home with them. It hits me at random, but every time I get a hug from one of them or hear them talk about wanting a family like ours, I am overcome with gratitude.” From all the mothers I have interviewed, this seemed to be a common thread. They were all very grateful that “…God chose me to be their mama.” There will be challenges, but being a mother has its sweet rewards as well. One mom even goes on to say, “I am most grateful for the opportunity God has given me to leave a legacy to my children and grandchildren and their children, that prayerfully and humbly would be seen as worthy.”

If you are a new mother, here is some advice from the moms I interviewed. One mom says this, “Give yourself grace. Give your kids grace. Give your husband as much grace as you give yourself,” she goes on to say, “It is going to be hard, there are going to be difficult days. You are not perfect, they are not perfect, so do not expect more out of them than you do yourself.” It is easy to write on paper, but to put this into practice is much harder; that is where prayer comes in. Another mom encourages to, “Enjoy every minute, because it will be over so fast. I regret not enjoying my children more. It is so hard when you are drowning in diapers, fussy babies, a messy house, and trying to meet everyone’s needs except your own, and you feel like it will never end, but it does all too soon.” The last mom I talked to wanted to share that sometimes things just do not go the way you think they will. You can make a plan for what you think will be best, but inevitably, your expectations will not be fully met, and that is okay. Life is hard, and the best thing any of us can do is learn to simply relax and take it all in. As life happens, adjust accordingly, humble yourself, and focus on loving your kiddos as much as you can, while you can.

Every mother deserves a reminder that they have this incredible power that is unique to moms. The power that creates and nurtures, unlike anything else. It is a role that is both demanding and rewarding, filled with many moments of success and doubt. It is a serious job to be a mom, you are raising the future, and that requires huge sacrifices that mothers make daily. Thank you to all the moms out there, you do so much for us every single day!