Becoming a mother can be exciting and exhilarating, but also terrifying and exhausting.
It changes your identity and can add layers to your life that you love, but at times can strip you of your sense of who you are and where you fit in.
Being the mother of a child who has some additional needs is these things and so much more (no matter when you find this out).
The worry and the guilt are compounded; the sense of protection you feel is tenfold. The anger, sadness and frustration are extreme, as you fight others (and yourself…) to be more understanding and patient.
And the joy and pride are immense too, when your child is able to go, or stay or feel safe, where they didn’t before.
Being a mother who has also struggled with so many of the same things your child is struggling with, intensifies these feelings.
But as you hear your voice begin to rise, to demand different thoughts and ways in the world.
It is easier to shout out for your child than it is for yourself.
And yet, as you do it, you know it is for you as well.
Being a mother is a role I love more than anything else I do.
It’s been the most difficult and the easiest; it’s brought out the worst and the best;
It’s been the breaking and the making of me.
It’s taught me more about myself than anything else I’ve done.
Being a mother is a huge privileged that I’ll never take for granted, with my children as my greatest teachers.
Happy Mother’s Day – please take a moment to recognise ALL that you are in in being a mother.mother
