One small word with a universe of meaning behind it. A gateway to a world so complex it’s impossible to understand unless you are living in it. A place where hardship and joy lie close to each other, like strained lovers. “Mama”. Four letters, seemingly simple, yet no other word carries so much weight. I can still hear it ring in my ears as the day is fading before my eyes. I hear the demanding tone of it, the tenderness, the love. The desperateness. One word with a million meanings.

Motherhood is humbling. Nothing else has brought me to my knees, so completely and utterly, the way caring for a helpless human has. Motherhood turns on the spotlight and holds up a giant mirror revealing your innermost truth. It turns you inside out in the most beautiful way. It leaves you raw and vulnerable and so in awe of this life that you are responsible for.

How will I ever find the words to describe how motherhood has changed me? Formed me, molded my soul, my body with a force so primal, so sacred. A transformation, guiding me on ancient paths of wisdom and instincts. A love growing, blooming within me like no other. Its roots grounding me deeply to withstand the inevitable storms of parenthood. When the winds are rough, I sway. I let them bend me. I let the rains fall on me, drops running over my skin, a release of the emotions that got stored away.

The sheer beauty of a mother is defined by the love for her child. By the bond that is strung delicately through life experiences. Each thread a story. Different circumstances woven into a tapestry of legacy. Each of them unique and all of them magnificent and important.

One thing I have learned is that the true strength of motherhood is not giving yourself up for another soul, but growing stronger instead. To lead by example and with joy in your heart, to put down your guards. To not overthink. Letting the moments turn into memories, knowing you are enough.