Mama, you told me
That motherhood would be wonderful.
But Mama, you never told me
What it would do to me.
How it would take the woman that I was;
The woman who thought she knew everything
And could control everything
And break her down and
Teach her that
She had so much to learn.

RELATED: To My Mom, I Get it Now

Mama, you told me
There would be sleepless nights.
But Mama, you never told me
Just how tired I would be;
How sleep would become a luxury, and not something
To which I am entitled;
But that there was nothing sweeter
Than hearing the sound
Of their steady breath while they slept;
And that even when all I wanted
Was to close my eyes
For five more minutes,
Small, soft, chubby arms
Around my neck,
Singing me songs,
Telling me stories,
Giggling and squealing,
Would make me forget how badly I needed to sleep.

Mama, you told me
That I would figure it out one day at a time.
But Mama, you never told me
That motherhood would take the perfectionist in me,
And whittle her down to someone that
Has no choice but to accept
That sometimes,
“Good enough”
Is enough.

RELATED: The Nights Are So Long

Mama, you told me
That motherhood would change the way I think.
But Mama, you never told me
How my sharp memory would be torn into shreds,
And that I would forget,
Misplace,
And confuse things;
But that I would remember nothing more clearly
Than the way the weight of their
Small, warm bodies felt
In my longing arms,
The first time I held them.

Mama, you told me
That motherhood would teach me selflessness.
But Mama, you never told me
How sometimes I would feel like my independence,
My freedom,
My time,
My sense of self,
Had all been taken away
And that I would feel guilty sometimes wishing I could have it all back;
But that in fact, it is a privilege to be needed by someone
So deeply
And that motherhood would gift me
With so many exhilaratingly precious moments
That take my breath away.

RELATED: Here We Are, My Love, In the Season of Parenting Little Ones

Mama, you told me
That motherhood would change my priorities.
But Mama, you never told me
About the worrying;
How much I would worry.
Are they happy? Are they healthy?
Are they OK?
Am I enough?
I didn’t know that someone else’s needs could
So wholly and completely
Consume my every thought
And that everything else would become
Unimportant,
Secondary,
As long as my children were happy.

Mama, you told me
That it would be a joy to watch them grow up.
But Mama, you never told me
How quickly the time would pass;
How the hours, the days, the weeks and the months
Would slip through
My fingers
So fast
That I would suddenly find myself looking at a child instead of a baby;
A baby instead of a newborn;
And beg time to be a little bit kinder and wait for me to catch up.

RELATED: Growing Up, You First Then Me

Mama, you told me
That motherhood would teach me things.
But Mama, you never told me
How becoming a mother would test me
And push me
And make me doubt myself
And lead me to think that I was doing everything wrong;
But that with each test, each push, each trying moment
It would teach me
How to be better
How to be stronger
And just how much I was capable of.

Mama, you told me
You loved me.
But Mama, you never told me
How that love would run so fiercely through my veins;
How every other kind of love
I have ever felt
Would be nothing like this.
How it would be a love that teaches me
To give more than I ever thought I could give,
To somehow want to give even more when I think I have nothing left,
And to be grateful for the simplest of joys.

Originally published on Facebook

 Mama, you never told me How quickly the time would pass

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Her View From Home

Millions of mothers connected by love, friendship, family and faith. Join our growing community. 1,000+ writers strong. We pay too!   Find more information on how you can become a writer on Her View From Home at https://herviewfromhome.com/contact-us/write-for-her//

Each Child You Raise is Unique

In: Kids, Motherhood
Three little boys under a blanket, black-and-white photo

The hardest part about raising children? Well, there’s a lot, but to me, one major thing is that they are all completely different than one another. Nothing is the same. Like anything. Ever. Your first comes and you basically grow up with them, you learn through your mistakes as well as your triumphs. They go to all the parties with you, restaurants, sporting events, traveling—they just fit into your life. You learn the dos and don’ts, but your life doesn’t change as much as you thought. You start to think Wow! This was easy, let’s have another. RELATED: Isn’t Parenting...

Keep Reading

Our Kids Need Us as Much as We Need Them

In: Kids, Motherhood
Little boy sitting on bench with dog nearby, color photo

During a moment of sadness last week, my lively and joyful toddler voluntarily sat with me on the couch, holding hands and snuggling for a good hour. This brought comfort and happiness to the situation. At that moment, I realized sometimes our kids need us, sometimes we need them, and sometimes we need each other at the same time. Kids need us. From the moment they enter the world, infants express their needs through tiny (or loud) cries. Toddlers need lots of cuddling as their brains try to comprehend black, white, and all the colors of the expanding world around...

Keep Reading

Your Kids Don’t Need More Things, They Need More You

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Mother and young girl smiling together at home

He reached for my hand and then looked up. His sweet smile and lingering gaze flooded my weary heart with much-needed peace. “Thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy! It’s like we’re on a date! I like it when it’s just the two of us.” We entered the library, hand in hand, and headed toward the LEGO table. As I began gathering books nearby, I was surprised to feel my son’s arms around me. He gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss with an “I love you, Mommy” before returning to his LEGO—three separate times. My typically...

Keep Reading

This Time In the Passenger Seat is Precious

In: Kids, Motherhood, Teen
Teen driver with parent in passenger seat

When you’re parenting preteens and teens, it sometimes feels like you are an unpaid Uber driver. It can be a thankless job. During busy seasons, I spend 80 percent of my evenings driving, parking, dropping off, picking up, sitting in traffic, running errands, waiting in drive-thru lines. I say things like buckle your seat belt, turn that music down a little bit, take your trash inside, stop yelling—we are in the car, keep your hands to yourself, don’t make me turn this car around, get your feet off the back of the seat, this car is not a trash can,...

Keep Reading

So God Made My Daughter a Wrestler

In: Kids, Motherhood
Young female wrestler wearing mouth guard and wrestling singlet

God made my girl a wrestler. Gosh, those are words I would never have thought I would say or be so insanely proud to share with you. But I am. I know with 100 percent certainty and overwhelming pride that God made my girl a wrestler. But it’s been a journey. Probably one that started in the spring of 2010 when I was pregnant with my first baby and having the 20-week anatomy ultrasound. I remember hearing the word “girl” and squealing. I was over the moon excited—all I could think about were hair bows and cute outfits. And so...

Keep Reading

A Big Family Can Mean Big Feelings

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Family with many kids holding hands on beach

I’m a mother of six. Some are biological, and some are adopted. I homeschool most of them. I’m a “trauma momma” with my own mental health struggles. My husband and I together are raising children who have their own mental illnesses and special needs. Not all of them, but many of them. I battle thoughts of anxiety and OCD daily. I exercise, eat decently, take meds and supplements, yet I still have to go to battle. The new year has started slow and steady. Our younger kids who are going to public school are doing great in their classes and...

Keep Reading

You May Be a Big Brother, but You’ll Always Be My Baby

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother with young son, color photo

It seems like yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. Back then, we were new parents, clueless but full of love—a love that words can hardly explain. I can vividly recall holding you in my arms, rocking you in the cutest nursery, and singing sweet lullabies, just like yesterday. I can picture those times when you were teeny-tiny, doing tummy time, and how proud I was of you for lifting your head. And oh, the happiness on your face when “Baby Shark” played over and over—that song always made you smile! We made sure to capture your growth...

Keep Reading

“It Looks and Tastes Like Candy.” Mom Shares Warning about THC Gummies All Parents Need to Hear

In: Kids, Living, Teen
Hand holding bottle of THC gummies

What Aimee Larsen first thought was a stomach bug turned out to be something much more terrifying for her young son. Her 9-year-old woke up one day last week seeming “lethargic, barely able to stand or speak,” his mom shared in a Facebook post. At first, she assumed he had a virus, but something about his behavior just didn’t seem right. She called an ambulance and asked her older sons if their brother might have gotten into something, like cough syrup or another over-the-counter medicine. Their answer? “Yeah, THC gummies.” THC gummies are an edible form of cannabis that contain...

Keep Reading

Dear Daughter as You Grow into Yourself

In: Kids, Motherhood, Tween
Girl in hat and dress-up clothes, color photo

My daughter, I watched you stand in front of the mirror, turning your body left and right. Your skirt was too big and your top on backward. Your bright blue eyeshadow reached your eyebrows and bold red blush went up to your ears. You didn’t care. I watched you marvel at your body, feeling completely at ease in your skin. You turned and admired yourself with pride. You don’t see imperfections. You don’t see things you are lacking. You see goodness. You see strength. RELATED: Daughter, When You Look in the Mirror, This is What I Hope You See I’m...

Keep Reading

My Child with Special Needs Made His Own Way in His Own Time

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother holding child's hand walking across street

I want to tell you the story of a little boy who came to live with me when he was three years old. Some of you may find this story familiar in your own life. Your little boy or girl may have grown inside you and shares your DNA or maybe they came into your life much older than three. This little boy, this special child, my precious gift has special needs. Just five short years ago, he was a bit mean and angry, he said few understandable words, and there was a lot about this world he didn’t understand. Unless...

Keep Reading