What is motherhood? What does it mean to be a mother? These questions are as challenging to answer as they are simple. Yes, to give birth; yes, to adopt children; yes, to have a family. But being a mother is also about much more than that, isn’t it? There’s some large, overwhelming, and beautiful piece at the center of motherhood that is so hard to put words to. It’s a feeling, not an explanation. Maybe that piece is best called love. If so, it is truly a unique love reserved for the mother/child relationship. And when you’ve felt it, you know it.
Since we’re just a few days away from Mother’s Day, we put this question to 18 moms: “What does it mean to be a mother?” The responses we heard were lovely, inspirational, and downright funny! Read them all below.
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“For me, motherhood is seeing the profound value in learning about who your children are, and then encouraging and teaching them to be the best versions of themselves. It is my greatest hope that this acceptance and unconditional love will empower and strengthen my children as well as foster self-confidence and kindness!”
—Courtney Westlake
blogger, Blessed By Brenna
Blog | Instagram | Facebook
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“Motherhood is truly a remarkable gift and a privilege that I hold very close to my heart. To me, being a mother means to be fearless, to be a positive role model, to be a continuous cheerleader for every milestone my children will experience, to demonstrate the abundance of unconditional love that has no end and to cherish the countless memories that is truly priceless.”
—Eluka Moore
Co-Founder & Author, Kitchen Club Kids
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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“To me, being a mother is the greatest job in the world. Helping my girls through all the things life throws them, while also lifting them up so they can reach for the stars and grab one! That’s what being a mom is all about—always being there—the shoulder to cry on, the cheerleader to never give up, the one that gives the standing ovation, the familiar hand to hold.”
—Bobbie Rhoads
Founder & President, FunBites LLC
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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“Being a mother means being completely and totally overwhelmed (in the best possible way) by love, joy, responsibility, and selflessness. Motherhood means sleepless nights, big belly laughs, caterpillars on the coffee table, finger-painting in the kitchen, stubbed toes, and gapped toothed grins. Motherhood has made life more colorful than I ever knew it could be. Being a mom means I have two little people who walk around with my heart and soul in the palms of their sweet, smudgy hands.”
—Lauren Casper
Blogger
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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“To me, being a mother means getting to see all the possibility in the world through your children’s eyes, and also wanting to be the kindest and most generous version of yourself, so that your children can look up to you. On a day to day level, being a mother means being tired, sometimes grumpy and never left alone, and then, in one funny, loving or meaningful moment with your kids, realizing that it’s all completely worth it. Times one million.”
—Cara McDonough
Blogger
Blog | Twitter | Instagram
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“Being a mother means being an emotional blankie for your children. They snuggle with you at night, run to you when they’re hurt, and stand behind you in scary situations. There’s nothing more warm and fuzzy.”
—Maia Haag
Co-Founder & President, I See Me! LLC.
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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“For me, being a mother means it is MY responsibility to give my children the tools they need to live a happy and meaningful life. In the case of my daughters, Lily and Melanie, I wanted to empower them with a skill set that would allow them to create independent careers and avoid the glass ceiling…they are on their way with confidence and the sky is the limit.”
—Renee Sandler
Founder & CEO, BLAMtastic®
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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“Being a mother means, knowing when to talk and knowing when to listen…understanding that there is no learning curve. Every day is an adventure (especially when you are raising three boys…Boy oh Boy oh Boy). I would not trade my best day before my kids were born for the worst day after. Motherhood is: a life time adventure, the hardest non-paying 24 hour job you will ever do, and my greatest achievement!”
—Amy Fazackerley
Founder, Lay-n-Go
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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Being a mom means that “sacrificing my body, my time, my finances, my sleep, and my mental health to raise my kids will be worth it in the end, because life isn’t about me anymore. I just hope my kids survive my weaknesses, and realize I love them more than anything.”
—Heather Bowcutt
KidsEmail
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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“Parenting is raising a child to be the best they can be. Being a mother is different: it means providing that indescribable feeling of comfort, no matter the age of the child. It’s being that person you call on that makes you feel better and doesn’t even need to say anything.”
—Wendy Hunter, MD
Pediatrician & Founder of BabyScience.info
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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“Being a mother means learning, listening, leading, laughing, loving, and living in the moment . . . all while executing the myriad details of life with aplomb.”
—Rana DiOrio
Founder/CEO of Little Pickle Presss
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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“Motherhood is to sleep with one eye open and always worry. To constantly feel guilty about SOMETHING. To have your heart so filled with love you think it might explode and then have it broken all in the space of less that 60 seconds. To be a guide, coach, cheerleader, policewoman, superhero, ‘kissy monster,’ friend and confidant, even when you have the flu and all you want to do is hide under the covers. To do your best and remember in the hardest of times that the tantrums will pass, teenagers grow out of it, nothing ends a bad parenting moment like a big hug, and most importantly that it’s okay not to be perfect.”
—Tova Leigh
Blogger
Blog | Facebook
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“Being a mother means getting your toddler into his car seat as fast as possible (and without any tantrums) when all he wants is to ‘drive’ the car himself. It means leaving the house earlier so you have a few extra minutes to let him sit in the front seat in the driveway and ‘drive’ before going anywhere. Being a mother means trying to make the best of every situation, choosing your battles, and planning ahead!”
“A mother never says to her child, ‘You owe me.’ This is why her love is boundless, endless, seamless, selfless—unconditional. This is why her love multiplies and divides to embrace her own children and then theirs. There is a Mother Theresa in every mother and she should be celebrated (on Mother’s Day and) every day.”
—Roma Khetarpal
Author of The Perfect Parent
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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“Being a mother, with its challenges and rewards, has shaped me into the person I never imagined I could become. Protecting and advocating for our children is something all mothers strive for, and for me this is especially true for my child with autism who needs me as an advocate and a voice. It’s been the best assertiveness training!”
—Lori DeMonia
Author of Leah’s Voice and Love for Logan
Website | Facebook | Twitter
40 Comments on “18 Moms Describe What It Means to Be a Mother”
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Motherhood is a privilege to officially gamble in life without an option. To unconditionally love without expectation, to be a great doctor, cheer leader, super hero, trustee and all the very many professions that exist but without education. To be is the best way to find one self and to understand you in life.
One of my dreams is to be a mother; I know that sounds strange, but it is true. So now I understand what it means to be a mother. Thank you for providing this information!
I’m a daughter and I really felt fascinating hearing this and I realized the pains, my mom takes.
Thanks, what an awesome article. Being a Mom is way much stress, but, at the end, your kids still become that super kid you wanted them to be!!!
Am a mother of 4 lovely children which they a my priority despite I lost my husband about 16 years ago at a tender age, s an adventure of unconditional love with positive attitude. As a mother, friend, confidant, & solictors to ourselves on issues that can depriving us frm our moral values & d word sorry to any unplesant situation alwys bring peace & unity to our home
It’s such a privilege to be a mom, The minute you receive that baby whether biologically or through adoption, you definitely feel and embrace that sense of responsibility. Your whole being becomes overwhelmed by love. You become a life coach of another human being and so you have to duplicate the best of yourself. Being a mom is the best thing that happens to every woman. You find a place to share the best of yourself and to be a coach, a discidisciplinarian and an angel at the same time. It’s an endless journey that makes life worth living.
Love it, Liz! That’s beautifully said!
I loved this article and i shared on facebook .My daughter will become a Mom for the first time this coming Feb.and i believe this will be a beautiful read for her.
Thanks for sharing, Kathy! :) Congrats to you and your daughter!
Great article! I love how we can all have different experiences, yet completely relate t one another throungh Motherhood. Power onward, Moms…we celebrate each other!
That is a really beautiful sentiment, Patricia. We all have this huge piece of us (motherhood) that we can totally relate to each other about, no matter what else is going on. That’s a really positive outlook.
Loved this artical!
Awesome! Glad you liked it. Thanks for the comment!
I loved this article! I am a mom to 4 kids under the age of 9 and my youngest is a 3 month old preemie who just recently got released from the NICU. Needless to say I can relate to alot of things in this article. Thank you!
We’re sure you can, Ashley! :) Glad you liked it. And congrats on the new one! :)
Being a mother means getting your eyes peeled open in the early morning lol.
LOL! Yes!
Being a mom is amazing but also really, really hard. Somedays I don’t know how I do it all. LOVE my boys to bits and LOVE being a mom but I do miss the freedom I had before I had my boys.
Yes, it is definitely full of it’s ups and downs. And it sure does keep you busy! We know what you mean about missing the freedom, but be honest…you wouldn’t trade those beautiful children for anything!
This is a great article. Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks for the nice comment Desirae! Glad you like it.
It’s nice to read so many uplifting comments from others who view being a mom the same as me! I had my oldest son 6 years before any of my friends started having kids. It’s a rewarding job!
It is definitely rewarding, Kayla! Like anything else, there are some small ups and downs. But being a parent is the most beautiful and rewarding job in the world!
It’s comforting to hear so many other mothers words that closely resembles the feelings and words that are within myself. We all have the same goals… just different ways of expressing and going about them. If we would allow ourselves to toss aside the external differences and with an open-mind look underneath. We would find that we have more in common with eachother then we sometimes want to believe.
Lacey, that is beautifully said. Thank you! Sometimes differences are really just differences in the way we express ourselves, right? We’re really all after something quite similar. Hope you had a great Mother’s Day!
what a sweet article..Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Valerie! Thanks! Happy Mother’s Day!
Aww such a sweet article. I love hearing how it reflects differently on each mother. Being a mother is the best gift I have received. I loving going through this crazy thing called life with my boys. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there!
Yes! We totally agree! Being a mother is the best gift of all! Thanks for the comment, Brittany! Hope you had a great Mother’s Day!
I am a mother and I loved all the stories , some I could really relate to. Such different thoughts and experiences, loved them.
Glad you liked it, Sherry! Hope you had a great Mother’s Day!
Great Comments and Experiences right from the heart
Great write up Eluka
Thanks! Glad you like it! Eluka’s contribution is really wonderful!
Awww, I love these sayings, and they are all so true! It makes us realize to never take moms for granted!
Thanks Tiffany! :)