The good life is a process. One of taking risks and living intentionally. It’s not a state of just being. It is a journey not a destination, such is Motherhood. It’s goes in all sorts of directions like the way the wind blows. You never know which way it will gust, but you can bet its going in every direction for when you’re a mother and all the while it is carrying your essence, the lessons learned along the way, how you develop from them, and so much more along with you.
The definition of a verb intensely relates to motherhood.
Verb: Words that show an action, occurrence, (develop). Or state of being (exist).
A verb is the main part of a sentence in the English language. Without them nothing would have action, productivity, endings, and beginning. All would be stagnant without a verb. That goes for mothers as well. Motherhood overflows with words of action, occurrence, state of being and development. All that is the make-up of being a mother arises from countless verbs, and what you do with them. Merriam-Webster may place the definition of Motherhood as a noun, but I’m shaking that up here, claiming Motherhood is a in fact, a verb.
I chose four key verbs that I find define motherhood in its purest form. Not the everyday drive, help, teach, cook, clean, etc. These verbs dig deeper into the core of being a mother. They are the words that empower, establish, and carry us mothers.
EMBRACE
Accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically.
It’s often said, “To embrace something is to dive into a world that acquires meaning only through active, conscious awareness, and participation.” That statement screams motherhood. Embracing is an action that is not effortless, or simple. The moment you have a child you are thrown into an entirely new arena, and it divides your life’s timeline. In an instant we start embracing our new self and life while combining it with who we are as individuals before having a child. And, in a literal sense we embrace our children with acceptance into our arms at their first breath. Not everything can be accepted or supported willingly with glee, but much can be. It takes balance, time, effort, discipline, energy, wisdom, and perseverance. Motherhood throws so much change, theories and so on at you that embracing is an incredible action being taken from day one, and an imperative one. The more we can embrace rather than endure, the happier mothers we will be.
BECOME (BE)
Begin to be, grow into; turn into.
Become is the verb that intertwines all the instinctive, and the often-difficult notions of Motherhood together. It’s the intricate verb in full effect from that positive pregnancy test to when the water breaks. You’re about to become, then you do become. The actions from this word give us mothers our spirit, qualities, and uniqueness. Plus, raising children is an infinite learning process. Mothers are not given guides, or maps showing us what exactly to do. Mistakes are made left and right. Thankfully, failure is what gives us the best lessons, and without it we cannot evolve. So, we are always in a becoming state. Overall, having a child causes us to become and grow into a vast plain of things. We become warriors, lionesses, teachers, protectors, guides, role-models, oh, so much more! Become is the refining verb that is embedded in motherhood.
CONQUER
Overcome, and take control of. Climb successfully.
Gaining mastery of.
The journey of being a mother has roads paved with the verb conquer. As a mother you must face and handle our own personal obstacles, fears, struggles, and issues as well as your child’s. You’re not just looking out for yourself in life anymore. All the while you also are teaching them how to do it themselves. Life’s hard, and without the abilities this verb shouts we all would fall to never get back up. Every day in the life of a mother almost always involves some sort of need to master, gain, or overcome something. And, no matter how big or small, us mama's do this in a way unlike anyone else. Our kids are our cubs. You want to see fangs come out? Then mess with our children. You want to see some multi-tasking at its finest? Observe a mother from dusk until dawn. Motherhood brings out the parts of women that nothing else can and the way we conquer is on fire. The woman you see standing in the ring taking each punch well and getting back up each time with more confidence, that’s a mother.
LOVE
To have a strong liking for; take immense pleasure in.
To need or require; benefit greatly from.
Love: The foundational verb in Motherhood. Love holds the most impact within ourselves and our Motherliness. It is required just as much it is desired. Us mama's have been entrusted with another human being’s heart, mind, and soul. That’s mind blowing. As the old saying goes, “There’s no love like a mother’s love.” It’s true. It is a fierce and unconditional love. Our love for our children is bulletproof. It wipes out all other forms on a large scale. I’m not downgrading the other ways we love in relationships or over our passions, but in all ways that love is defined, it is magnified for a mother beyond measure. We are our children’s landing spots, we are their safe place. No one knows how to love our child like we do and vice versa. During motherhood not a second goes by without love being in action. It is the verb that gives Motherhood its meaning and stabilizes it amongst all the chaos that surrounds us.
Among the limitless number of verbs that define Motherhood, I find these four showcase the exceptional, the parts that give being a mom a power it has that nothing else on this planet has access to. It is evident-- Motherhood is not merely abstract, it is in constant motion and requires much action, and states of being. It is to be lived and out loud. It is a verb.
So, step back mama and take the time to embrace the positive changes that come with your new role. Embrace the new things having a child offers you to get to try, even to re-live. Support (embrace), spontaneity, and even risk. Being practical, safe, and always logical is not only overrated, it’s imprisonment. Yes, be wise, but not dull. Without embracing the experiences around us daily because, we will miss the stories that make up our lives. Embrace today, tomorrow doesn’t exist.
Author: Rebecca Kirby
Twitter: @Aposhsavage