To the Mom who is exhausted
I see you
I see you wanting some personal space, when your baby won’t leave you even for a second
I see you popping pain killers at night because you are so sore by carrying around the baby
I see your dark circles
from all the night wakings and cluster feeding
I see you picking up food and mopping the floor for the 100th time
After your baby has rejected another meal you so lovingly prepared
And then I see you doing it again the next day
I see you when you have to sniff your food instead of eating
I see you gulping down your cold tea that was once hot
I see that hair that hasn’t been washed or combed in a while
Who has time to do that right?
I see you getting down to play a dozen times a day
I see you read the same book over and over again
I see you standing up for your baby
When you shouldn’t really have to do that
I see you working so hard, trying to be gentle,
Breaking generations of barriers
I see you empty and yet so full of courage to give
I see you offer yourself one more time when you feel you have nothing more to give
I see you go on for another minute when every bone in your body is aching
I see you volley questions and judgements
On baby’s weight, height, milestones ,
Skills
As if we are raising show clowns and not children
I see you when you look in the mirror and someone else stares back
A hollow reflection of the carefree woman there once was
And then I see love
I see courage, I see joy and I see resilience
I see selflessness and I see self awareness
I see kind eyes and a lion heart
Nose that can’t get enough of her baby’s smell
Ears that find her baby’s Babbles as music
Forehead that crinkles when the baby cries
Lips that smile so wide with your little one’s smiles
Cheeks that have been smothered by sloppy kisses
The beautiful neck with your little ones sweet hands around it
I see all this
And I see a Mom
Beautiful, powerful
In all her glory
To the Mom who is exhausted
I see you
I am you
