Yesterday I had the honor of celebrating my very first Mother’s Day just six weeks after becoming a mom. It was an incredibly special day spent with my two favorite humans, Kevin and Maggie. We had a relaxing morning (Kevin surprised me with flowers and the sweetest card) and then spent the afternoon at Westbend Winery and Brewery. The weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed sitting outside and chatting with another family while listening to music and sipping on wine (for me), beer (for Kevin), and milk (Maggie’s fave). It couldn’t have been a more perfect day.
Amidst all the celebration, I was struck by how immensely aware I was of what a gift all this is. I’m a mama to a beautiful baby girl who’s healthy and bright eyed and seems to know she’s loved and safe. I have a wonderfully supportive parenting partner in Kevin. I am beyond fortunate to be able to add “mama” to the list of roles in my life, and this is the happiest and most fulfilled I think I’ve ever been.
I’m also acutely aware that there are so many women out there who had a really hard day yesterday. Women who long to be mothers themselves but, for a variety of reasons, aren’t. This time last year, Mother’s Day was pretty terrible for me. I’d miscarried in December of 2015, and so Mother’s Day 2016 was a glaring reminder of how things were so very opposite of what I’d hoped for at the time.
I don’t have words of wisdom or encouragement for those women who were struggling yesterday but, if you’re one of them, know that I am thinking of you. I see you. And so many other women — mamas and otherwise — see you, too. We’re rooting for you to be able to achieve your dreams of parenthood, no matter how those dreams ultimately might come to fruition.
Here’s to motherhood in all its many forms — and here’s to coming together to support one another in the celebratory times and the rough times alike.
