Motherhood: The Job of a Lifetime; A lifetime Job

Motherhood: The job of a lifetime

By Cathy Nevin

So Mother’s Day is close at hand and what might I have

to say about being a mother? I admit that my mother

did tell me there would be "days like these," and yet

there into the realm of motherhood I went. I have an

abundance of stories from so many joyous moments and

occasions, but there too are the moments of sheer

frustration spent pondering the life of a carefree

single woman.

I’ve come to learn there is no lack of learning

opportunities that come with each stage of mothering.

The infant stage, draining but truly amazing as this

little person suddenly takes notice of your every move

and responds to you with that first wonderful smile

that energizes even the most fatigued of souls.

Toddlers—run run run—the world is so new to them they

can’t decide what to do and for how long to do it, so

you debate an afternoon nap or early bedtime and

wonder if your toddler will join you. With

preschoolers you rediscover the wonders of the world,

when what seems incredibly mundane to you is

incredibly amazing to them. With the school age child

you learn how to allow them to discover independence

and self-assurance, all the while ready to jump in and

help. Every age has its most memorable moments both

for the difficulty and the splendour of it all.

In our household, we’re not far from being a home full

of teenagers, at the ages of 18, 16 and 12 (officially

a preteen!). Yes, the dreaded teenagers! Each of them

like photo paper first entering the developer tray,

knowing generally what the picture is all about but

greatly anticipating just exactly how it will look

once fully developed. These three children are quite

diverse in their personalities and at times that can

certainly lead to conflict, while also more positively providing Dad and Mom with a continuing education of sorts. The fierce heart-pounding beat of a well-developed drummer playing a full set has given us the ability to be more tolerant and has led to a greater appreciation of the coordination skills it takes to play the drums. Our in-house theatre apprentice has re-educated us in the verse of William Shakespeare, while amazing us in his ability to speak it as eloquently as if it were his native tongue. Our youngest, enjoying the world of Equine, fast becomes very knowledgeable in the finer details of horsemanship and tacks her majestic steed with the greatest of ease.

I know as much as I have to teach my children, I have

most assuredly learned from them. While the learning

can be very trying (on both accounts, I’m certain)

given the chance I would not choose to miss any of it.

The greatest and most honourable role I will have in

my lifetime will be the role of Mom.

jcnevin@eagle.ca