Inspiration conjures up a blend of provoking thoughts, ground-breaking ideas, and super-human abilities. Being inspired requires a heads up motion and a look to the sky mentality. We can be inspired by so many new and exciting things or by the most simplistic of notions. We can find inspiration through another person's story, a picture or work of art, or the unique innocence of a child.
Mothering also conjures up a blend of uncharacteristic thoughts, idealistic ideas, and insurmountable super-human abilities! Being a mother requires a constant heads up motion (to look over that crowd of people to make sure your child is safe, but also the hands-flying up, heaven-help-me-with-this-child look....). Being a mother requires a look to the sky mentality in which falling to our knees with considerable determination is needed almost every night in order to keep sanity among the tantrums or bear what our teenagers have just told us!
As mothers, we can be inspired by looking down at the sleeping face of the newborn child we have carried inside of us for nine months and have finally gotten to meet. As mothers, we can be inspired by the exciting reaction of our child when we get them an ice cream cone (and then the devastating sadness that comes over their face when that same ice cream cone drops onto the ground!).
Mothers can instantly find an inspiring bond with another mother by simply listening to her staggering accomplishment of getting herself ready in the morning, 4 children up and ready for school, breakfast made, coffee made, dog walked, school papers signed, and out the door with no crying children or disgruntled teenagers WITH 5 minutes to spare!! (Ok, inside we're secretly wondering if this mom has some stash we don't know about and how hard would it be to get her to share??)
Mothers can draw on the legacy of motherhood passed onto her through her own mother or the loving advice given by mother-like figures as her daily inspiration. We, as mothers, can choose to see inspiration instead of competition among the women we meet and stand supportive when another mother's burden is too much for her to bear. We, as mothers, can choose to be humbly inspirational and come to the defense of another mom because we know those shoes are an incredibly hard-fit sometimes. And we can be the first non-judgemental woman to hold a distraught teenager as she feels the overwhelming responsibility of being a mom.
No matter our childhood or background, there is always that moment in life as a mother when we look into our child's eyes and vow to be better and more conscious for them and their future.
As with all inspirational processes, mothering requires a direct and explicit action - to be in the moment. To breathe. To be still. To simply enjoy.
To remember that through this season in our life, we have been chosen, (sometimes indirectly) to be a mom and to use these moments we have been given as incredible gifts.
Mothering is inspiration personified!
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