by Donna Del Vecchio

Created on: September 29, 2009   Last Updated: September 30, 2009

Motherhood changes a woman forever. Having two sons and a daughter you realize that, "Yes, men and women are different.." As a mom of an infant you worry about if they are eating enough, are they sick, why are they crying?, am I meeting their needs? Then as toddlers you worry about if they are learning what they need to know, will they fall and get hurt, should they know by now how to ride a bike, are they social. When you are at the grocery store with two toddlers crying because they want the cereal with sugar in it you wonder when the day will end. A woman who has teenagers tells you, "Enjoy them now as the problems will only get bigger."

Then the school age years hit. Endless hours of playdates, birthday parties, teaching and reinforcing what they learned in school, making sure they join clubs and after school activities so they will make friends and have fun. Suddenly, they are in middle school and somehow you are thrown into the "Wonder Years." Everything is about how they look and feel about themselves.

Somehow you awaken one day and you have teenagers. Driving permits are on their minds, the opposite sex is all they think about, they want to be on their own, they know everything and you are told you know nothing. You somehow try to protect them every way you can. The days of the tooth fairy and Sesame Street are long gone. You pray each day as they walk out the door that they will be protected and come home safe. Drugs, car accidents, will they graduate high school, worrying every minute of where they are and what they are doing. Some parents are sparred as their children make it to 18 years old. Others live the horror of car accidents, their children falling prey to drugs, children being by themselves and never having "best friends" to pal around with and enjoy their youth.

Once your child is in their twenties you have lived through a lifetime of pain, worry, and sheer joy of raising children who will make a difference in the world.

Yes, motherhood changes you forever. No longer are you in control of your own life. You know are in control of children that God blessed you with. Love them, teach them right from wrong, continually keep on top of them and one step ahead. They will challenge and exhaust you from the moment you see their sweet faces. They are a joy, a blessing that we must treasure each and every day.

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