Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the great WF1 MOMS!

Below are two stories of motherhood. We are blessed to be moms to such incredible human beings…

Mothering to me is the greatest gift I have been granted within this life.

My TRUTH is plain and simple…With all of my heart…I love my children…I love my stepchildren…

When I first became a mom it felt so natural. Ryan was born and I looked into those beautiful eyes and was terrified and joyful all in one breath. Some women don’t instantly bond with their children… this was another gift I was given. I felt bonded before I even knew him. As soon as I met Ryan I knew the lifelong bond we had was immeasurable and had existed forever.

I had no idea what an incredible journey I was embarking upon. I always knew I would birth two boys… and of course, then came Jack… the beautifully sensitive creature that has eyes that pierce your heart. After Jack I felt that I was complete as a mom.

Somehow the universe likes to prove us wrong just when we think we know what we are planning. When we got the news of Sophie, I was overjoyed and terrified again in one breath. Her cry when she was born was a prediction of just who she would become. A strong, loving, sensitive child with both determination and joy beyond my imagination.

The bond that I have with my three children is unspeakable, authentic, loyal and Soulful. Each of them has such unique beauty, strength and heart. My heart wells up as I write about them and feel into each of their Souls. They are my teachers, my strength, and my inspiration to be a better person each day of my life.

When I met my husband and his three children 5 years ago, I never dreamed I could love three more children as I do my stepchildren. Their unique qualities, respectfulness, strength and love have taught me, yet again, how to step into mothering in whole new way. I am learning daily that “stepmothering” is much different than motherhood. You get to be a support, a guide, and in return you are taught a whole new set of family values, belief systems and ways of being. This learning has expanded my awareness of what is “right” in parenting into what works for each individual family unit. Each day I am more open to new ways of just BEING in this world.

So on this Mother’s Day I would like to thank my three children and my three stepchildren for being some of the greatest teachers in my life. You are incredible people with such bright futures. I love you with all my heart.

With Great Respect and Love,
Kelly McNelis Senegor

 

THE GIFT OF MOTHERHOOD

Being a mother to me has made my life complete. It’s cliché and sounds like it belongs on a Hallmark card, but it is my truth. I can compare it to all of the other things I have done and to even more that I have not done and there is just no comparison. It’s the most intense of my life experiences. I knew the minute I laid eyes on my first born that nothing else would ever matter to me in my life time the way being a mother would.The level of commitment and connection was so strong it overwhelmed me. With my young woman mind I felt bad instantly because I now loved this one human who had just arrived hours earlier more than I loved all of the people in my life who had been with me for years. How could that be? It’s something that at the time nobody had really discussed with me. No pregnancy book or doctor or friend had mentioned this level of feeling that would soon arrive in my heart.

My children feeling loved and being safe has really been my life mantra. They are my filter through which I live. My failures with my children have felt like fire burning me. My successes with my children have felt like heaven here on earth . The nicest thing a person can say to me is that my children show signs of being deeply loved and they are kind humans. The worst thing that could happen to me is my children feeling pain. The lessons I have experienced with my role as a mom have taught me more than any other experience I imagine could.

What could possibly humble you more than this relationship? What relationship in your life could produce this kind of unconditional love? What could challenge you more than this journey? The growth that comes with this level of love is a gift that I am thankful was mine in this lifetime.

As my youngest twin daughters prepare to leave in the Fall for college and I will live in a house with no children for the first time in 23 years I wonder daily what will this feel like and look like. I feel ready for this new journey and Whoever I meet in the mirror at that time I know she was blessed with the role of being a mom and will carry that gift with her wherever she goes…

With Great Respect and Love,
Tracy Joy