Being a father of 2, I can appreciate moms a lot more now. They always say you’ll appreciate your parents the most when you become one yourself – and that couldn’t be more true. The pains and sacrifices of being a parent are significant, yet I still highly recommend it #crazyiknow
But I’m just a dad. A mom has to go through so much. I have witnessed it first hand with my wife Wendy. There is much more physical and emotional requirements that a mother goes through. Of course the physical “event” of delivering a baby, but the adjustments in body and mind thereafter.
Some to note are the career changes. My wife is a hard working, independent woman, and she had to really sacrifice her career, or at least put it in hold for a few years raising 2 kids.
Makes me re-think about my own childhood growing up. My mom also had to go through quite a bit of adjustments – staying at home to take care of my sister and I to support the family. Of course my father, as well as every father has adjustments and pressure of their own – the mother seems to sacrifice much more in terms of career, and lifestyle (friends).
I love my mom. I love my wife, a new and amazing mother. I respect women who have the opportunity to have children and raise them. I do wish I could put more time into helping with the family, but I do work at home now to adjust for it. Even still, I am mostly locked to my laptop in the studio for more hours than I want to admit.
My buddy Jamon told me that if we think back to the “”caveman” times – a village would help raise a child. We weren’t so independent, and the mothers would all bring their children to a “play area” at the village and help each other watch the kids. That it was more of an open community. It is true, why are we all so “soloed” in our own little boxes (apartments) and make such an effort to bring a few of us together? That is what I have noticed as I get older – to bring common friends together is such an effort.
So for all you guys out there who still aren’t fathers of your own – appreciate your mom. It is a big change in their lifestyle and they have given up time with friends and their career to make you the man you are today.
And I need to do a better job appreciating my own mom. She’s over in Florida and I think happy in her daily environment. I think back to the days when I was home with her and my sister during the summer. We would go see a matinee movie, go to McDonalds, and talk about the movie we watched. We would sing songs and chants for different rituals (cleaning, or leaving the house, or preparing for school) and go to the porch to watch the thunderstorms. Memories like this I have cherished deep in my soul, and I know most of us have those childhood memories deep in our subconscious. Seeing my own kids now I am so careful about what will be engrained in their minds from these delicate and important years when their subconscious is being developed.
Getting a bit too deep here – but take Mother’s day as an extra day to remember the good times with your mom. And if you are able to take her out for the day for a meal or a trip, appreciate that time. I look forward to seeing you soon mom, I love you.