I am not a mother, and I am unfit to be one. I’m 17 years old, and I am still reckless, lazy, and altogether still learning how to take care of myself.
Washing dishes feels like the end of the world, and I still fight with my little brother about everything and anything, and that is exactly why I don’t understand how mothers operate. How do you just become serious one day? How do you just become responsible for a whole life? I can’t wrap my mind around it. Maybe I’ll never understand it, but I know people that do, and they know “motherhood” like the back of their hand.
Within the five people I’ve interviewed about the responsibility of motherhood, most answers were the same, a universal truth that motherhood is a whole different life from the one you once lived. It is full of worry and sleepless nights, it’s full of stinky diapers and big questions that you won’t always have answers to, however, every mother I’ve spoken to has made three things clear: It’s selfless, it’s vigorous, and it’s worth it.
What really stood out to me wasn’t just what they said but how they said it. They talked about the sleepless nights and the anxiety and all the worry that comes with kids, but when I asked, “How has becoming a mother changed who you are?” every one of them answered how it was the best decision they’ve ever made—that despite the fear of if their children were growing right or the worry of what if they get hurt, being a mother was always about giving a part of yourself to raise a child to be successful.
While mothers all around Mead High School are similar in the sense of wanting the best for their kids, it’s also important to note that being a good mother means being a good person.
Ms. Warren, a mother of three, notes that “becoming a mother means putting others’ needs before her own,” and that, although you develop a huge sense of responsibility, it comes with a huge amount of reward.
While I don’t understand motherhood personally, the mothers of MHS do, and they explain it to be a selfless act of loving a child for every personality and every argument or situation they throw at you. You don’t need to expect perfection, but, rather, progress as they grow.
