Hey, Mom: We See You
Motherhood looks different for every mom.
Mother’s Day is a time of celebration—and rightfully so. Moms are incredible: we are nurturers, caretakers, teachers, nurses, cooks, managers, protectors, therapists, mediators, maids, chauffeurs, researchers, advocates, nutritionists, safety blankets, schedule-keepers, clothes-shoppers, toy-picker-uppers, shoe-finders, boo-boo kissers, nose-wipers, and nightmare-chasers ... often all before we start our workday. Like I said, mothers are incredible.
Not every motherhood story looks the same, but all are worth celebrating. Ahead of tomorrow’s festivities, I thought I’d share a snippet of my own journey, in the hopes that it brings encouragement and pays a small tribute to all the unique motherhood stories out there.
For many, Mother’s Day is a struggle. I know this, because it once was for me. The first Mother’s Day after my husband and I decided we wanted to be parents, I was terrified I would never become a mother at all—we had been trying for months and I had a gut feeling that something was wrong. I was right. By the next Mother’s Day, I was very newly pregnant after months of physically and emotionally painful fertility treatments and was living in constant fear that this tiny beginning of a human being inside me wouldn’t make it through nine months of pregnancy. This time, I was fortunate enough to be wrong.
Today, I have two beautiful, healthy daughters who bring so much joy into my life—messy, overwhelming, chaotic, exhausting joy—but those days when I wasn’t sure I would ever be at this point are never far from my mind or my heart. This Mother’s Day, in the midst of our celebrations, let’s remember that this holiday, like motherhood itself, is complicated. Let’s recognize those who are struggling through rounds of IVF; the women who aren’t sure if they will ever become mothers; the moms who mourn the loss of babies; the moms who mourn the loss of their own mothers and the guiding light they’re missing while raising their children; the moms whose kids were brought into this world by another person; the moms who have strained or non-existent relationships with their mothers; the moms whose mother-figures are someone other than their biological parent; and every incredible mom in between.
Whatever your motherhood story looks like, we honor you. It is the love, strength, and determination that you bring to your unique journey that makes you worth celebrating—not just on Mother’s Day, but every day.
To all the moms who are part of the Vooks family: Thank you. However you found us, we’re so happy you’re here.
Melissa Andersen, Marketing Director at Vooks and mom of two
