The Joys of Being a Mother

Teresa Arrowood
May 8, 2019
3 min read

My mom always told me, “You’ll understand when you become a mom.” I wanted to pull my hair out every time. I understood I was a teenager, and I was not near as grown up as I would have liked. Still, I felt I was a good kid and gave my mom and dad little to no trouble raising me. Of course by the time you are 20 and 21 and you are still living at home, and you still have to play by the rules gets a little upsetting. I can’t say I was unrebellious. By that time I was working outside the home. While I didn’t live outside the home until later, I was in control of my actions, and if I made a mistake, it was my mistake.

When my son was born, there was nothing better than looking down into that tiny face and knowing he was mine. That is until I got home three days later and started going through the baby blues. I can remember sitting and rocking him in our living room and crying telling him, “Some woman is going to take you away from me someday.” Now, that sounds funny, but it’s true. It doesn’t matter if you have a son or daughter. Their life at some point becomes their own. You can guide and direct but in the end; you have to trust what you instilled in them as they were growing up will allow them to make good choices. If they don’t, they will learn from them. That’s how we grow. It doesn’t make it easier if you see them fail at something. What hurts them, hurts you.

When he became a teenager, he would ask me why he had to do certain things or why I worried. Well, I then became my mother. I told him, “You’ll understand when you become a parent.” When he and his wife had their first child, he said, “I hope to be in a different home by the time she is old enough to drive.” When I asked why? He said, “ I don’t want her driving down this road of a night when there is no cell service. What if she has car trouble, and there is a lot of deer out here.” I told him, “Now you understand why I wanted to call me when you were going somewhere and when you would be home. No matter how old you get, you are still my baby.”

I am blessed. My son is now married and has a lovely wife and two beautiful grandchildren. It hasn’t been easy on them. I know they will grow together and learn as they go. You can’t make your children’s choices for them but can support them when they fall.

I learned from pretty awesome women as I grew up. My mother always taught me to be kind to other people no matter what. My grandmothers taught me strength in the face of adversity, and my adopted grandmother taught me grace. The old ways still work. I wasn’t above giving him a swat on the rear if he needed it. The bible teaches us this. Spare the rod and spoil the child. We need to teach discipline with love. That’s what being a good mom or parent would do.

Happy Mother’s Day to my mother, and all the other mothers out there. May God Bless your special day.