Why I celebrate motherhood milestones

Like most Mamas, I knew absolutely nothing about motherhood before I had children. Even now, almost eight years later, there is so much I am learning. I don’t think anyone ever knows everything about parenting. If done right, it’s one of those gigs where you learn something new at every stage. And oftentimes, new lessons come with the children’s milestones.

I call them the children’s milestones, but I celebrate them like they are mine. Their birthdays are huge for me even though I didn’t grow up celebrating mine. Each birthday, I walk down memory lane through the good and bad experiences of pregnancy, the worrisome feelings during delivery, and the months of recovery. Then, I take time to truly appreciate how far each child has come and how much I have grown as their Mama.

We recently celebrated our second boy’s fifth birthday. He had fun all day long, sure to thank us for celebrating him several times. He laughed, ate well, played with his siblings, and basked in overall merriment. I loved on him a little extra. And I celebrated motherhood a little extra as well.

When these special times roll around, I also pray harder for them and for our family. I know that the older they get, the more of this sometimes cruel world they will have to face. As their Mama, I make it a priority to teach them to be strong without being hard; to be cautious without being afraid; to love people without being naive. These lessons are best taught through my own actions, especially since they are still little. I also pray that they see the great human being their Papa is and emulate him exactly as he is.

And in almost every moment, I get a glimpse of just how much they get what we are trying to instill in them. I see it when they remind each other of our family priorities. I see it when they eagerly show up to help with any given chore or project. I see it when they lean on me when they are upset. I also see it when they jump at the chance to do something for others.

These are my daily celebrations. They accumulate into the larger festive milestone events that I take so very personally. The joy I get from them is a reward for motherhood, but I also hope it shows them exactly how much their existence means. I want them to always stand strong and never ever question their value to me or anyone else.