Dear Mummy,
There are so many things people say about mothers.
That you are strong. That you are selfless. That you are the heart of the home. That you somehow know where everything is, even when everyone else has “looked everywhere”.
And maybe all of that is true. But this Mother’s Day, we do not just want to call you strong and leave it there.
Because sometimes, “strong” has become the word people use when they do not quite know how much you are carrying.
So today, we want to say something else: We see you.
We see the coffee you made with such hope in the morning, only to find it hours later on the counter, cold and forgotten.
Or worse, we see that sad little cup of melted ice and diluted coffee sitting there. You had every intention of drinking it.
Then someone needed breakfast. Someone could not find their socks. Someone cried because the banana broke in half.
Someone needed to be changed, fed, carried, comforted, reminded, rushed, hugged, or listened to.
And just like that, your coffee became another thing waiting for you.
Motherhood has a funny way of shrinking your space, doesn’t it?
Your side of the bed gets smaller. Your child somehow sleeps sideways, diagonally, and across your ribs all at once. Your handbag becomes a portable emergency kit. Your phone gallery becomes 90% photos of your children and 10% screenshots of things you meant to remember.
Even your thoughts are no longer just yours. Somewhere in your mind, there is always a running list:
Did I pack the water bottle?
Is the school form signed?
Are we out of diapers?
Did they poop today?
Was that cough worse this morning?
Do we still have bread?
Did I reply to that teacher?
Did I lose my temper too quickly earlier?
That last one, however, is the one that tends to follow you into the night.
Because after the children are finally asleep, after the house becomes quiet, after the day stops asking so much from you, your mind starts speaking.
You think about the moment you raised your voice.
The moment you rushed them or were not as gentle as you wanted to be.
The moment they looked at you with those big eyes, you thought, “I should have been kinder.”
And even though you spent the whole day loving them in a hundred different ways, it is often that one imperfect moment that stays with you.
Mummy, we hope you know this.
The fact that you worry about being a good mother is already proof of how much you care, and it means you are human.
While society may tell us otherwise, the journey of motherhood is not always soft lighting and matching pyjamas. It is not always cute lunchboxes and peaceful bedtime stories.
Sometimes motherhood is wiping tears while holding back your own.
It is eating the leftovers from your child’s plate and calling it lunch.
It is buying them the better shoes and convincing yourself your old pair can last a little longer.
It is sitting in the car for three extra minutes because nobody is touching you, calling you, or asking you for something.
It is loving your children so fiercely it scares you, while also sometimes missing the woman you used to be.
And… we need to talk about her too, because she is not gone.
She is there in the way you laugh when you are finally with people who let you be more than “Mummy”.
She is in the songs you still love and the coffee you still crave.
The little things that still make you feel like yourself.
The dreams that still tug at you when the house is quiet.
Motherhood may have changed you, but it did not erase you.
And this Mother’s Day, that is what we hope you remember.
You matter beyond what you do for everyone.
You do not have to be exhausted to prove your love.
You do not have to disappear into motherhood to be considered devoted.
You do not have to carry everything silently just because you are good at carrying it.
Happy Mother’s Day with love from all of us at Motherhood.com.my!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
For more insightful stories and fun recipes, stay tuned to Motherhood Story!