Celebrating My First Mother's Day

It is my first Mother's Day. It is 4:17 am and I've just finished nursing my son, who at 13 weeks, miraculously sleeps through the night in 4-5 hour intervals. And that, my friend, is the best Mother's Day gift of them all.

Wow. It seems all too surreal that the day would come when I would pen these words, and feel incredibly happy doing so. And while I realize that not every night will be like tonight, and that motherhood will not remain free from blemishes, there is one thing I know for sure: mothers are the true healers of this world. The past 3 months have been the most challenging, but the most life-changing and truly rewarding moments. Seeing the compassion that mothers have for one another has been uplifting for my spirits as I attempt to navigate this new vessel--from the emergency texting and Facebook messaging for advice on how to conquer the perils of breastfeeding to witnessing a mother soothe an inconsolable child whose screams ring through the crisp night air, I am in constant awe of the healing powers of the moms in my life.

Our sacrifices run deep, but then, so does our love for our children -- little people who provide us with a recurring reminder of what it means to live with our hearts beating outside of our bodies each and every day we share with them (Thank you, Vickie). And to that, I honor you...Happy Mother's Day!