The International language of Mommy

When you give birth, you automatically become a “new” and “different” kind of person. People look at you differently, they treat you differently and they have a new found respect for you. You become “woman with child”; it’s like you mature or drastically change into a domestic Goddess. We all know that we inherit the so called “mother’s instinct”. The instinct of what to do to make your child stop crying, or help their tummy ache, and the instinct to know when they need you to hold them. It is a connection that remains for life.

Babies have that same connection to their mothers. From very early on, before they can even see, they know when their mothers are entering or leaving a room. They know when their mothers are holding them, and they know the voices of their mothers. It is one of the first words a child learns. Ma Ma (although some learn Da Da first, it only means that they cannot pronounce the “m” sound yet..lol’) A mother and child bond, is a bond that no one person can ever break or replace. It is an unconditional love. A love of non-judgement, and complete and utter acceptance and support.

Mothers understand each other. We know what it feels like to utterly adore, worship and love our children. When you have a baby, you become part of the realm and world of the “I know exactly how you feel and what you are going through” world. We just get it. We know what a woman will feel, and most of all, expect, from motherhood. Before having children, there is very little to understand about children and their behaviour. We do not comprehend that sometimes children have to go pee after their snow suit is already zipped up. We don’t understand that when you leave the house with a child, you must pack half your kitchen. We don’t get the whole idea of licking our own fingers to wipe off the chocolate from our kids cheeks.lol. It is all just a big mystery that we really do not care to even learn about.

Not only do we change our opinions about babies, child rearing, and discipline after we become mothers, we also change our personalities. We somehow feel like we become mothers to all children. When we see a child in need, a child falling from the slide, or eating the sand in the sandbox, we feel the need to intervene. We hurry to the scene and take control, to make sure we get the sand out, or pick up that child that just fell 3 feet from the air. We know we would want another mother to do the same to our child. We don’t get grossed out at the sight of green boogers, or freshly scraped skin. We do not flinch at the sight of vomit, or diarea. Dirty diapers are just another thing we have to change, and we do it without thinking.

Sometimes when we are not even with our own children, we are still in mommy mode. We turn our heads when we hear another child screaming “mommy.” We grab a tissue when we see another child’s nose running. We pull out that extra lollipop we have stored in our purse “just in case of an emergency”, for the child that’s crying. We hurt when other children hurt, and we laugh when other children laugh. We are mothers, and we are always mothers. There is no time off, or no punching in or out our time cards. It is a full time, 24 hour 7 day a week job. We have the instinct, the intuition and the “bug” of motherhood. It is the language of love, the language of “I get it, your child is having a moment”, and the language of, “OMG, that child is falling from the swing”. It is an unspoken understanding of an unbreakable bond, an unconditional connection, and a lifelong commitment; it is the understandable, international language of Mommy.
That’s my peace today!

Beef broth
1 piece of Veal or Beef shank
1 sweet potatoe
2 carrots peeled
1 onion
3 springs parsley
1/2 butternut squash peeled
1 celery stalk
salt to taste

Place beef or veal in large pot of water, bring to boil and remove any fat that gathers at top of pot. Add all veggies (leave whole) and boil on high for 15 min. Lower to med-high and boil for another hour. This broth is perfect to serve with small pasta.