I remember the day the doctor placed my first child, a daughter, in my arms. Suddenly I was a mother.
My entire life I’d wanted to be a mother, and there it was, happening.
It wasn’t what I expected. It was a complex mixture of emotions and feelings. In my head there would only be joy, and bliss, and love. In reality, there were all of those things, but also fear and worry. I had so many questions. There was so much I didn’t know. I was inexperienced and underqualified, or so it felt.
Moments later, I caught a glimpse of my mother. She was cradling my newborn daughter with a smile that could light up a room. She held her delicately and with immense purpose. She held her confidently, unafraid. She had poise and grace and undeniable gratitude.
There she stood. Beautiful and proud.
My example. My influence. My mother.
Watching her gave me insight. I wasn’t underqualified for the job. I couldn’t be, for I trained with the best. I was simply new. I had the skills and the knowledge, I simply hadn’t put them to use yet. Now was my time to shine. It was my moment. As my mother placed my beautiful baby girl in my hands a knowing rushed over me. Immediately I understood every choice my mother made, every consequence, and every decision.
She acted in love. She was powered by responsibility and care. I wanted to be just like her.
I was thankful for the woman that stood in front of me. I felt abundantly blessed by her influence. Through her actions, love, and the way she lived life, I had been perfectly trained for my new position. I had watched the best. I had experienced her motherly dedication. It was endless and inspiring.
Mothers are such powerful souls, and I had just become one. It was a title that was new, and scary, and important.
I took another glance at my mother, watching her shine. While I had been sitting in that hospital bed fearful and unsure of my new title and responsibility, she had been basking in hers.
The day I became a mother, I upgraded my mother’s title too.
Mother. Grandmother. Daughter.
Three people significantly impacted by a single moment.
My daughter’s birth was such an unforgettable moment and day. It took two women and filled them with new titles, new purpose, and a new understanding of each other.
The day a child is born, so many other things are born too.
Purpose. Love. Responsibility.
And the most beautiful thing, an everlasting legacy.
A legacy for us, and a beautifully extended legacy for our mothers.
