The True Value of Being a Mother

If you’re a woman reading this, I take my hat off to you, and I say that with the utmost sincerity. We are all here, every single one of us, because a woman carried us for nine long months and then took care of us when we emerged into the world, totally helpless and at our most vulnerable.

Being a mother is, without doubt, the most important job in the human world, and too often, sad to say, it’s seriously undervalued. Society these days seems to put more value on a firm, flat belly, or flawless skin, or the ability to run a 5k while hardly breaking a sweat.

So I was heartened to come across a whole page of short articles centred round motherhood and the fact that women should never have to feel undervalued as mothers. It’s a page on Bored Panda, and it makes rivetting reading. I urge you to read every single article on the page – believe me, you won’t be disappointed.

I’m just going to give you a taster of some of the things women said on that page, and I promise I’ll keep it brief – if you want to read the entire thing then go ahead, but if you’re not convinced yet, maybe these short excerpts will help you decide to take the time to read the whole Bored Panda page.

Over to you, ladies …

“My hubby snapped this pic as I fell asleep sitting up, breastfeeding our 2 week old twins. Exhausted doesn’t fully describe this experience as I was healing from 2 types of births (Baby A vaginal, Baby B cesarean) and my body is working non-freaking-stop to make all the milk for these boys.”

“… This is so sad and I feel like some of us get robbed of the joy of becoming a mother because they feel the need to start changing back to “normal” instead… I think we should bring the focus back to what our bodies have done, what they’re capable off – and be damn proud of how we look because of it ♥️ that’s where the focus should be, don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise ♥️”

“… And Don’t compare yourself to the old you and pick out all the imperfections in your new body. It will cause more harm than good. Instead, remember this, you’re on a journey. One day at a time, choose to see the beauty because it is there.”

“… So while society wants to sit behind a screen and label us as flawed, I am here to remind myself and all of you that to our children we are perfect. They see behind the stretched out skin, marks, and lines. They see us for who we truly are. They know our hearts and love us unconditionally. And that is all that matters.”

“… This mom pouch is as much a part of me as my arms, legs, breasts … so I have chosen to embrace it because hating it means hating a piece of myself, and that just won’t be tolerated.

Once you go down that road towards self love you realize that although you may have bad days, you are still worthy of all the love and magic in this world.”

“… Because in all the chaos and piles of laundry there are millions of moments that fulfill me more than I could every dream. There is joy in the chaos and love in the mess. It is hard for all mothers whether working or stay at home. One is not better than the other and one is not harder than the other. Working or stay at home, we are all mothers working 24/7. So let’s stop assuming what a mother’s day is like and praise every mother for all the work that they do.”

May I say that I’m in total agreement with all those sentiments. Those ladies say it more eloquently than I ever could, and with more understanding of the issues involved.

It’s perfectly fine, laudable in fact, to want to achieve a high level of fitness, and if you didn’t believe that you probably wouldn’t be reading this right now. But it’s infinitely more important to be happy in your body, even if it’s showing signs of wear and tear due to childbirth.

In fact, those scars and stretch marks are your badges of honour; you should wear them unashamedly and with pride. Without you going through the traumas of childbirth and child rearing, where would we all be?

And I’m not forgetting those who choose not to become mothers, or who cannot, for whatever reason. You’re all quite wonderful, and you shouldn’t ever forget it. Just love the way you are … use affirmations of self-appreciation and self-love, if necessary, till you’re as convinced as I am that you’re truly beautiful just as you are.

Anyway, enough of me rattling on about stuff I know precious little about (me being the wrong gender to fully understand it) … why not take a look at what the women in question are saying on that page.