In Awe of Moms

I know a thing or two about unconditional love—on both the receiving and the giving ends—as a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend. But I’m not a mom, so without children of my own, I don’t know what it’s like to have to take care of children 24/7, to spend every minute of every day in charge of another life. As an aunt, I am one of those women who can joke about giving them back at the end of the day.

On one hand that couldn’t be further from the truth: I care and worry and swell with pride about my nieces and nephews all the time, even when they aren’t with me. On the other, I am able to do so in the comfort of my own home, without worrying about their meals or baths (or showers) or runny noses or fevers or laundry and permission slips and immunizations and skinned knees (most of them anyway) and sports schedules and fundraisers, so that is exactly the case.

I’m not sure I’d have what it takes to do all of that all of the time. I’d like to think so, but I’ll never know. Today and every day, for those who do, hats off to you.

Happy Mother’s Day.