Let me honest with ourselves, it is true that we can't truly know the feeling of things we haven't done before and Motherhood is one of the experience that is hard to explain when you haven't walk down the journey yourself. I was at a gathering and a mother was holding her kid and did not allow her to get down to play or doing anything, when her friend asked what happens, she said the kid was just eight months and she's already walking, she feared what people will say. Immediately she stepped out, that her friend and other are saying she was lying that the kid is older than that, how can a child of eight months started walking, I looked at them and shake my head to their ignorance.
If it was me if many years back, I would have joined them to say the same because I have no understanding of what motherhood entails then but seriously, being a mother myself, motherhood has really opened my eyes to something I never fully understood before that no two children are ever truly the same. Even from pregnancy, I realized each child comes with their own energy, their own personality, and their own unique journey.
During my first pregnancy, everything felt surprisingly easy. I wasn’t weak like people used to tell me, I wasn’t lazy, and I could still do all my normal activities without feeling too stressed. Even after giving birth, I still felt strong enough to handle everything around me. I honestly thought every pregnancy would be like that. But when I got pregnant with my second child, everything changed completely. I was always tired, I barely had the appetite to eat, and sometimes I just wanted to lie down all day. That experience made me realize that children truly do not bring the same energy. Each pregnancy carries its own story, and every child comes differently.
But seriously the differences didn’t stop there. My firstborn started walking exactly at one year old, and at the time, I thought that was normal for every child. Then his younger sister surprised me by walking at just ten months. Not only that, she even started talking earlier than her older brother. Watching them grow side by side has taught me that children develop in their own timing, and there is really no need to compare them because you will only be stressing yourself.
Sometimes the world pressures parents into measuring children against one another about who talks first, who walks earlier, who learns faster, their are other mothers that we gave birth at same month but their children are older than mine by one and two months, the one other than her by a week started walking when she was nine months and the one that is older than her by two weeks started walking by one year six months. Some mother will think why is my baby growth so slow but motherhood has taught me to see beyond all of that. I’ve learned that every child carries something special that cannot be measured by milestones alone. One may be quiet and observant, while another is bold and expressive. One may take longer in certain things but shine brightly in others.
As a mother, some of my favorite moments are the simple ones. Hearing their laughter in the house, watching them play, listening to their random questions, or just sitting quietly beside them. Those little moments may seem ordinary, but they stay in my heart the most. They remind me how blessed I am to witness their growth every single day.
Motherhood is not always easy, Some days are exhausting, emotional, and overwhelming. But even on the hardest days, I still find myself grateful. Grateful that God trusted me with these little humans. Grateful that I get to watch them grow into themselves. And grateful that through raising them, I am also learning and growing too.
One thing I know for sure is this, love for our children should never be based on comparison. Every child deserves to be loved for exactly who they are. And honestly, that is one of the most beautiful lessons motherhood has given me.
Thanks for checking on my blog and have a wonderful day