My daughter has just e-mailed me this. She has just spent the last 4 days with her 18 month old son (my grandson) who has been unwell with gastroenteritis. It was looking yesterday that if he didn't pick up with in the next few hours he was to be admitted into hospital, but thankfully he started to mprove.
She has never in her life felt so helpless, as her little boy screamed in pain and then he became very quiet and still and that was worse than the screaming. She found this poem and she says she now knows what it feels to be a mum and she understands why I worried so much about her and her two brothers.
Before I Was A Mum....
Before I was a Mum…
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.
Before I was a Mum…
I slept as late as I wanted.
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth every day.
Before I was a Mum…
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies.
Before I was a Mum…
I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunisations.
Before I was Mum…
I had never been puked on,
Pooped on,
Spat on,
Chewed on,
Peed on,
Or pinched by tiny fingers.
Before I was a Mum…
I had complete control of my mind,
My thoughts.
My body,
And my time.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mum…
I never held down a screaming child,
So that doctors could do tests, or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mum…
I never held a sleeping baby just because.
I didn’t want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces, when I couldn’t stop the hurt.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mum…
I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn’t know that something so small Could make me feel so important.
Before I was a Mum…
I had never risen in the middle of the night .
Every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
The joy,
The love,
The heartache,
The wonderment,
Or the satisfaction of being a Moum.
I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so
Much before I was a mum
