I have a bone to pick with the phrase "settling down"
The closer I see motherhood through my friends and now my sister, the more I see that motherhood is nowhere near “settling down”.
No one is settling.
It is a life many women have the privilege to choose.
No one has a down time.
Someone said moms never sleep. Something about being responsible for an actual human life keeps your brain awake at all hours of the day. Yes, they may be sleeping but their brains never fully shut down. “Light sleepers” is what they become — always ready to jump into action when the baby cries or when the toddler wakes up to potty in the middle of the night or when the teenager needs to be picked up somewhere at 2 in the morning.
If at all, choosing motherhood in a world that is becoming more dangerous by the hour should rightfully be called “stepping up”.
It takes a shit ton of courage to raise a pretty decent human being.
It is a lifetime of responsibility. You never stop being a mom.
Your kid could be a full-grown adult. Your kid could be married. Your kid could have their own kid.
You still worry. You still care. You’re still ready to pick up the pieces when no one’s there.
Just ask any empty nester.
So here’s to the women who choose to step up.
Also, to the women who understand the weight of this responsibility and are taking their time to feel ready.
Last but definitely not the least, to the women who, after careful consideration and deep self-introspection, are choosing a different path of stepping up in a world that not-so-quietly imposes.
Courage has many faces.
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