I want to take a quick moment to reflect on the influence other mothers have had on me and my mothering. Be it mothers who I share opinions with or ones who disagree with my parenting style completely, they have all in some way- big or small- shaped the way I have developed into the mother I am today. And I am so grateful to each and every mommy I have met who has shared her ideas, opinions, tips, etc. with me because even if I disagreed with them, they made me re-evaluate what I was doing and try to make improvements or change direction.
When my daughter was only a few months old and I still felt completely insecure about my mothering, one of my best friends sent me a book dealing with the ideas of attachment parenting. It was such a significant book on my journey of motherhood- I had finally found a parenting philosophy that felt completely right. I often wonder if my path had been quite the same had I not read this book at the time that I did. I am so thankful for this!
I was very lonely during the first months of motherhood, as many other mothers are. My husband and I went to a barbeque and I met another breastfeeding mother- the first one I had ever really spoken to about nursing and been able to exchange some thoughts with. She persuaded me to come to a La Leche League meeting and introduced me to a local mommies group. Today, I am in training to become a LLL leader and have a whole network of local mothers to socialize with. This one friend was able to take me out of my lonely home life and out into the open. She brought me into an environment in which breastfeeding was normal . Who knows what kind of a mother I would have become without this incredible support network. I am incredibly grateful for this!
These are just two of the most significant examples that have shaped me as a person and have made me the mother I am today. Every mother I interact with makes her mark on me in some way- be it through the extreme love that she shows her children, the calm way she is able to interact with them, etc. You ladies may not know it, but you always make an impression on me.
I want to thank you all! Every single mother I know is incredible in her own way and I am so grateful to know you all on some level. Some mothers I know very well and can share most everything with. Others are ‘just’ Facebook friends, but are always supportive. Some I don’t even know in person- they are my wonderful Twitter mamas and the mothers in forums. You are all awesome! Thank you for helping me become a mother.
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