Sunday 18 November 2007

Brith Days

I've been doing some catching up on my blog reading and November has included quite a few birthday posts. It stuck me as a bit odd that we celebrate the person that has been born.

Why?

It's not as if they did anything remarkable that day.

I say we should celebrate the mothers that did all the hard work on that day and for 9 months prior to that day and for years and years afterwards.

When you become pregnant, another human being has taken over your body. The first 3 months a woman is exhausted and cranky. In many instances she is sicker than a dog. The second 3 months she frets that she won't be ready or won't be a good mother. The last 3 months she gives over her body to grow to an enormous size and suffers numerous inconveniences including but not limited to heartburn, sore feet, sore back, sore hips and random weeing in her knickers.

The skeleton of a woman can tell you if she has had children because having a baby causes permanent irreversible bone damage/degradation.

And then comes the actual day of delivery. Mom endures great pain. I mean, GREAT pain. Whether vaginal or c-section they both hurt. A LOT!

Then she has a baby for which she has no formal training or qualifications. Breast feeding is not easy and the hormonal imbalance following pregnancy can drive a sane woman barking mad. Milk is followed by weening is followed by mashed food is followed by finger foods is followed by non choking inducing food is followed by everything they see they eat. My son is currently eating me out of house and home despite being only 6 years old and my daughter only eats white food.

A woman doesn't sleep soundly for years afterwards. Late night feedings are replaced by midnight nightmares followed by curfew violations and dodgy boyfriends keeping them out until the wee hours of the morning.

So if it is your birthday, go out, celebrate with your friends and family, enjoy the cake and ice cream. But don't forget the one who got you here. All mothers need to celebrate birth day for getting through it and making it thus far in the journey of parenthood!

3 comments:

Shirley said...

You are so right . . people should stop and remember their Mothers.

This reminded me of a sad moment years ago that an office coworker told me about. Apparently her family was quite dysfunctional and one year in her adult life, she called her Mother and said, "Thanks for having me." Her mother replied, "Oh, honey is it your birthday today?."

Janell said...

Did you know Ronald Reagan sent a bouquet of flowers to Nancy every year on the birthdates of their children? Along with a loving note thanking her for having them. That seemed so sweet and thoughtful to me.
Shirley, that put a lump in my throat. I know our family wasn't perfect, but we sure had a great mom.

LaDawn said...

Sue - That breaks my heart....

Janell - That makes my heart whole again.....