Moms, how many times has someone told you, "these are the BEST days," when referring to having young children? Let's be honest, we hear it ALL THE TIME! Too many times to count, am I right? For me it usually starts when I am in the grocery with all three of our kids. This actually happened to me a few weeks ago while I was grocery shopping. A sweet older lady stopped me in the produce aisle and put her hand on my back and said, “aww aren't they so cute!” I was smiling and then she said, “oh my! You have another one down there!” She was referring to Braden who was in his carrier in the buggy part. As she stared at all of them for what seemed like minutes, she started walking away and then looked back over her shoulder and said, “you know honey, these are the best days of your life.” I smiled nervously, chuckled, and replied, “thanks! Have a great day!” Woah, I thought to myself, really? Really? Are these really the best days? To be honest, yes they probably are, however, what runs through my head every time I hear it is, you have no idea. These are actually the HARDEST days of my life.
Now, if someone who has been in my shoes stopped me in my tracks and said, truthfully, “Momma, you got this, I’ve been there. These will actually be some of the hardest days of your life, but also the best.” I probably would have just hugged her neck, but guess what? No one told me this. No one told me that these are the days I would have piles on piles of laundry waiting to done, that sleep would constantly be a scarcity, that molding our tiny humans into respectful little people is a delicate responsibility, that walking barefoot in the house is as dangerous as Fear Factor because I fear what could be stepped on in the shag-carpeted rug. These are the days that I cry over the kitchen sink at night with pruned hands because I’ve been doing dishes for so long without an end in sight. These are the days that what I wear isn’t of high importance because snot, spit up, and food-stains are my new accessories that come with being a mom. No one told me that remembering the last time I showered would actually be something that I would even think about. No one told me that comforting a crying child while using the bathroom would be the new norm. No one told me that these days are some of the hardest days that I will go through as a mom of young children.
Do any of my fellow moms out there feel this way too? If you do, I encourage you to do something with me. Let’s be honest with ourselves. Yes, these days may in fact be some of the hardest times of our motherhood journey, but I urge you to start embracing these blessings in their entirety and thank God for all he has blessed us with. When doing laundry, let's be thankful for having clothes to put on our family’s backs, when doing the dishes, let’s be thankful for all the food we were able to serve on those plates, when baby wakes up in the night, just love them and be there for them and thank God for your little miracle because somewhere there is a mom who doesn’t get that opportunity anymore. Let’s be grateful for the slew of toys and messes we get to clean up each night because there are thousands of children who aren’t as blessed as ours. Let’s rock the snot and spit up while we are in this season of our lives like the newest fashion trend. Let’s be thankful for clean, hot water when we do get the chance to shower. Let’s pick up our kids and hug them so tight as they run to us while we are in the bathroom because one day soon that will be a thing of the past. Let’s embrace our beautiful chaos, let’s stop putting so much pressure on ourselves and just take a step back and absorb our surroundings, and look at the beauty of this short-lived season of our lives. Breathe every moment in, take as many pictures and videos as you can, check on your mom friends, learn to love the things that are hard, and most importantly pride yourself in motherhood because you are worth it and you deserve it! So Moms, I ask, are you with me?
This blog is written by Hannah Bucklin who is a Knoxville family photographer with Sweetest Moments Photography in Knoxville, TN. Sweetest Moments Photography specializes in natural light, lifestyle family photography as well as maternity, fresh 48, newborn, & milestone photography sessions. If you would like to learn more about me, check out this blog Meet Me! Knoxville Family Photographer Hannah Bucklin and my WHY! or you can click here to go back to the home page!