Quietly strong people inspire me: the ones who make it look easy, and only after you find out the backstory do you realize you should have been asking them to mentor you.
Lately I've been realizing that's pretty much every mother I know. We could talk about the emotional and spiritual strength required in having children, but I think the spotlight needs to be put on the physical strength these women embody.
These bodies are incredible. During the 2016 summer Olympics, there was backlash for commenting on how the female athletes were competing so soon after having babies. While I agree that women are far more than their ability to give birth, they should also be applauded for the physical dominance they show with the ability to not only give life but compete athletically.
Now, you should know, I considered not writing this. Because I know there will be eye rolls. And people writing this off as being overly dramatic. And quieted because "it's worth it"...
I have a confession. The phrase "It's worth it" is a pet peeve of mine. Every time I hear it I want to respond, "Of course it's worth it, that's why I'm DOING it."
But the value of the outcome does not magically negate the difficulty of the process.
Not only is the difficulty survived, I know woman after woman who has pulled it off with grace. So this is for...
The woman who feels like puking for 2000+ hours... and still makes breakfast for her family.
The woman who silently suffers through a minefield of hormones and unwelcome thoughts postpartum... and still holds her baby gently.
The woman who has lived through enough scars and blood loss to last a lifetime... and says "I'm willing to do this again."
The woman who has endured weeks of labor, waiting for her body to progress... all while still showing up at work with a smile on her face.
The woman who has been confined to a bed for months... and goes back to bench pressing.
The woman who spends days breathing through body-wracking muscle contractions... and then gets up every two hours round the clock for the next month.
The woman who lost so much blood she was close to dying... and walks to the NICU every day for weeks after.
The woman who has a dozen stitches still fresh in her core... and climbs the stairs to care for her older children.
The woman who undergoes week after week of painful procedures to ensure a full term baby... and after each appointment continues to take care of her household.
The woman who is plagued by pain every time she takes a step... and still picks up her two-year-old when they're crying.
Every woman who has poured their life blood into another person, and been expected to act like it's just ordinary.
You are extraordinary.
You are resilient.
You are the strongest people I know.
