A fitting way to describe motherhood in 2018


savannah gutherie and kids


I am watching the Today Show when Savannah Guthrie describes motherhood as “messy.”

I immediately nod my head in agreement. Yes, Savannah that’s the word I would use, too.

Motherhood in 2018 is messy.

When you are the mother of young children, the mess is literal. Fingerprints on sliding glass doors, spilled juice in restaurants, filthy soccer cleats staining your carpets.

mother looking at a mess

By the time your children are in high school, the mess is more about mounds of dirty laundry on their bedroom floor, and text messages coming in at all hours and fights over curfew and parties.

You start to wonder, how did my child get older and the mess get bigger?

But then, the college years arrive, and the mess continues to grow.

When you are the mother of college students and young adults, the mess is about arguments with roommates, dropping classes, choosing majors, signing or breaking leases and making life choices.

As mothers, your role changes over time, but your job is still messy. Let’s admit it, for mothers there are times when we come feel overwhelmed by the mess and demands of being on 24/7 problem-solving duty. Sometimes, worry overtakes you, and you find yourself awake in the middle of the night expending emotional energy on concerns that seem both deranged and justified.

In 2018, when social media offers a platform, many mothers have taken to these outlets to broadcast the highs and lows of motherhood and some, including celebrity mothers, have been brave enough to let the world see their messes.

But then, motherhood in 2018 also is amazing.

There is a bond with your children whether they are right next to you or staring at you from a computer or phone screen. You are close with them in a way that is different from the relationships you had with your parents. Today, kids teach you patience, amaze you with their independence, humble you with their compassion, and come to you as a sounding board.  They give you hugs and sometimes even compliments. On most days, you feel grateful for being given the amazing gift of a child.

So, Savannah, you summed it up well when you said motherhood is messy. But most mothers are okay with the mess. Actually, we love it.

Happy Mother’s Day!


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