What I love about being a mom

Recently I was asked why I love being a mom and I found it hard to answer on the spot.  So I've been thinking a lot about it. Why do I love being a mom?  It's definitely not all those sleepless nights where I cried right along with my baby, and the following days that are all a blur of being so exhausted I couldn't form coherent sentences and I thought I would go insane. It's not the constant string of puke/pee/poop/half chewed food/spilled milk/snot that I have to clean up on a daily basis (kids are gross, man).  It's not having to put my desires and my schedule aside to cater to the very big needs of a very small boy. It's not even the more fun stuff like reading books, going on walks, or making silly faces.  If it was just that, I could get my fix by volunteering to babysit everyone else's kids.

I love being a mom because I love my son. There's just no way to describe the mother/child bond.  It is overwhelming.  It is fierce.  It is amazing.  You love this tiny disgusting dictator with every fiber of your being and you would do anything for him if necessary.  Every time he learns something new or I see a glimpse of his personality, I am cheering him on, so proud (as all of Facebook knows due to my excessive picture and video posting).  My hard work is paid for in giggles, grins, cuddles, and extensive cuteness, and that is pretty great too.  He's my little buddy, my sidekick.  Of course my love isn't dependent on him reciprocating and I know a day will come when I will be so very uncool, so I am soaking up this stage where I am his whole world and he still loves me.

The other reason I love being a mom is that it feels so important, so rewarding.  I am helping raise the next generation.  I cannot ensure that my kids will grow up to be all that I want them to be, but it is my job to try.  Unlike any of the jobs I have had in the past, this actually means something.  And that is worth all the sleepless nights and poopy diapers in the world.