Motherhood is defined as “the state or experience of having or raising a child.”

This definition is brief, yet clear. However there are a few things that this definition does not tell us. This definition does not tell us that…. Motherhood is exciting, exhausting, joyful, scary, merry, lonely, humbling, cheerful, busy, loving, tiring, emotional, and one of the greatest gifts.

Motherhood is a blessing.

Motherhood is anxiety provoking and it will test your comfort zone. Motherhood is rewarding. Motherhood is a teacher. It will teach you to be kind, loving, giving, and selfless. It will remind you of your manners and how to be respectful. It will teach you to live better because you have graduated to being a role model for those little eyes watching your every spoken word and unspoken move. Motherhood will remind you of all of the life lessons your mother, your grandmother, your aunt has sown into you.

It will make you live the lessons that you are teaching.

It will call on you to water some things that you once let die. Motherhood will bring you back to the basics. It will pull a strength from you that you never knew you had. Motherhood will push you. It will bend you. It will grow you. And just as you grow so do those little eyes staring back at you.

Motherhood never ends. Just as our cubs need us we need other mothers. We need our tribe, our village, our kin, our sisterhood, our family. We need each other! We need each other for love, support, laughter, outlet, moms night out, friendship, recipe swaps, mommy hacks, etc. We need to laugh together, cry together, play together, and pray together.

Motherhood differs from anything else that we will ever experience. DO NOT do it alone! Look around and identify your tribe. Your village. Let them know that you need them just as much as they need you! As an act of solidarity send this post to all of your mommy friends and tell them you get it and you’ve got their back!