This is a little late, but in honor of Mother's Day I wanted to give my mom a shout out:
When my son was placed on my chest, tiny and perfect, shrieking with life, you were next to me holding my hand.
Only in the past few months has it dawned on me, that you love me the way I love Yehuda Or.
Being a mother has opened this door into our relationship - into why you cared so much when I was hurt by girls in middle school, and why you worried so much when I was determined to make some seriously stupid mistakes. Yes, I also now understand why you insist that I "wasn't a bad teenager" even though I cringe at some of the things I remember saying.
You love me the way I love Yehuda Or.
It's such a deep, endless, take-your-breath-away love.
It's the kind of love that will not fade, despite being pooped on, puked on, and woken up at all hours of the night.
This love is the real thing - in your bones love that runs through your veins and will exist as long as your heart is beating.
This love, is motherhood love.
So thank you Mom for carrying me for those nine long months filled with backaches and leg cramps, mood swings and heartburn.
Thank you for "oohing" and "aahing" through hours of contractions, for pushing your body to its limit so that I could be born.
Thank you for nursing me, holding me when I got a "boo boo," and reading me "Goodnight Moon" eight million times.
I understand now that I am still your baby, even though I have my own. You will always be my biggest fan, and you will always think about me as you drift off to sleep.
Yehuda Or climbs into my bed in the morning when he wakes up and I have to hold back from squeezing him too tight. He is perfect, and no matter how many mistakes he might make in his life, he will remain in some ways my innocent, beautiful baby boy.
Thank you for believing in me so strongly Mom, for being so invested in me.
Thank you so much for being my mom.
