Mostly Just a Mom

“What do you do?” people ask. “I’m mostly just a mom” I answer. And mostly, I am.

When I was a little girl I dreamed of what I would grow up to be.

“I will be a jockey” I thought, as I looked longingly at the horses that lived in the field behind our house.

I pretended my bicycle was a strong, beautiful horse. I took extra special care of her and gave her all of my time and attention. I tied a jump rope bridle around her, galloped around the neighborhood, and tethered her to the clothesline pole where she would wait for me each morning.

Each night I prayed that God would send me a beautiful white horse of my very own.

“I will be a nurse or a brilliant doctor” I thought, as I spent time with my great grandparents. I will be gentle and kind and loving and attentive.

I spent hours at their house working on my bedside manner. They were patient patients, letting me put eye drops in their eyes, rub cream on their hands, bring them their medicine and write prescriptions on a little note pad from their desk.

I loved helping to care for them and thought it was what I would do when I was a grown up.

“I will be on the television, maybe I’ll be a famous actress” I thought, as I practiced for the school play.

I loved to tell stories, pretend, make people laugh and use my imagination.

“I will help change the world” I thought, after I graduated from college. I will work to make life safer and more fair for women and children everywhere. And I did; for a little while.

But then something happened that changed all of my plans. I had a precious little baby of my very own.

“I will be mostly just a mom” I thought, as I looked into her wide blue eyes.

I will take extra special care of her and give her all of my time and attention.

I will be gentle, kind, loving and attentive.

I will tell stories, pretend, make her laugh and use my imagination.

I will change the world. I will work to make life safer and more fair for women and children everywhere. And I’ll start with this one, right here.

I soon realized, as one baby became two and then three and then four, that being mostly just a mom is what I have been practicing for my whole life.

I don’t think about what I might be anymore. Now I know that being mostly just a mom is the most important work I'll ever do.