How to be a Mother

When she saw those two red lines, she was devastated. She didn't want to be a mother! She had seen her friends who had become mothers go from young and energetic to old and tired. She didn't want that! She wanted to stay young and free-spirited forever! She couldn't do that with a- a child! And on top of that, she couldn't provide a kid with all the constant toys they went through, or the endless amounts of attention they needed! But she just didn't have the heart to get an abortion.

Finally sucking up the nerve to tell her fiance, his response was not as she hoped. He sat, frozen in shock, for a good five minutes, before finally shaking his head and driving off. She never saw him again.

Months later, after hours of pain, a wailing was heard. As the doctors placed her son in her hands, she was struck with the rawest form of unconditional love, the love of a mother. And as she stared down at her little angel's face, she whispered, "I'll keep you safe. Even if you break my heart and play with the pieces, I'll keep you safe."

But that was a long time ago. By now, she had grown old and tired like her friends, eyebags blossoming in a deep shade of purple, creases forming on her once-perfect face. But she was happy that way, and she'd do it all again for him. And so standing there on the stage, crying with a smile on her face, she cried, "I'll always be there for you, my son. I'll always be there, and I'll stay right here, waiting for you no matter how much I know it'll hurt," as he walked away to become the man he was meant to be, the man she made.

Because being a mother isn't about spoiling them with everything they want, or about waiting on them 24/7. It's not about showering them with endless praises, or doing everything they ask. It's about being there for them when things get rough. It's about being that one crucial pillar of support where they'll build monuments. And most of all, it's about pouring every last fiber of your being into making sure they know they are absolutely and unconditionally loved.

Inspiration- Rockabye by Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie and Sean Paul