My first Mother’s Day was a huge celebration. I felt triumphant - I had birthed a child who was now almost six months old. He was delicious and smiley and I felt profoundly lucky to be celebrating. I was celebrating the daily successes of motherhood with the bigger, deeper celebration of becoming a mother - something I always knew I wanted, but wasn’t sure I would ever get to have.
Early motherhood was intense. I was, of course, exhausted on a daily basis. I felt like I was supposed to know everything about my son immediately. Initially, I didn’t understand his different cries and what my new baby was trying to tell me. There were months of insecurity, but ultimately, with time and patience, we figured it out.
By the time Mother’s Day rolled around, my son and I had developed our own language. We understood each other and I was proud of how far we had come. I was ready to be pampered. I wanted some space to have time with myself. I felt strong, accomplished, and deserving of the indulgences the day allowed.
Now, seven years later, the meaning of Mother’s Day is different for me. It is less about having time away and being pampered and more about settling in, enjoying the moment and staying close to my son. These seven years have flown by.
Now, celebrating Mother’s Day is more a recognition of how he is growing, of what is working for him, in our home, in our life together. It is a time to assess, reflect and think about how much we bring to each other and how rich our life is as mother and son.
I am so fascinated by what interests him and the way he thinks. I am often in awe of his sense of humor, his bravery and his skills with math. He is strong, yet gentle; loud yet introspective; silly, yet studious. He loves his friends and loves playdates , videogames and reading. He is clear in his thoughts and in his voice.
I feel grateful to get to share this life with my son. I get to be present with him and for him and I hope to give back to him all that he brings to me and to those around him. This is so much of what we do at Portraits that Move. We give moms – and dads – the gift of celebration. The gift of seeing, hearing, learning from and enjoying the voices of our children as they grow, inspire and teach us.
At Portraits that Move, we want to be the mirror to share and show the joy, to express the closeness and richness of parenthood and the profound experience of watching our children develop.
For a special gift of celebration this Mother's Day, give the gift of a moving Portrait and take the time to watch it together this year, next year, and on the Mother's Days to come.