“I am 32 years old.
I don’t get sick much. I am not often in a lot of pain. But when things hit the fan, like when I was crying on the bathroom floor, eight months pregnant with a stomach virus. Or when I am 23 years old, shaking scared but resolved to go through with a kidney donation.
When things are hard, and I’m scared and hurting, and I’m reduced to a sobbing mess, there’s one person I want in the whole wide world.
I love my husband. But it’s my mom.
Have you ever surprised yourself by uttering the words ‘I want my mommy’ any time above the age of 18?
There is something engrained in our bones that knows no matter how bad things get, if our mamas are there, we’ll be comforted. We know it deeply, like an instinct.
I thought about this last night as my daughter tossed and turned in misery. She had fevers and ear aches and a congested nose that made feeding difficult.
I was tired. My head throbbed. My eyes burn this morning. But we made it to daylight and her fever is broken. Her ear feels better.
And I’m realizing now that maybe that deeply seeded desire to cry for mommy isn’t an instinct, after all.
It’s trained into us. With every long night, every selfless choice, every warm snuggle.
We are becoming our children’s most reliable comforter. The name on their lips when they are scared or hurt.
We earn it. HOW COOL IS THAT.
What an amazing privilege it is to love our children well… and how great are our rewards.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Mary Katherine Backstrom. The article originally appeared here. Follow Mary on Instagram here. Submit your story here, and be sure to subscribe to our best love stories here.
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