Newness

Rest your head
close to my heart
Never to part
Baby of mine
- Baby Mine

Being a mother means life is
grown
carried
pushed
pulled
nurtured
from your body
An essence given to the world
yet tethered to you; eternally, intrinsically

It means exhaustion and joy
Memorizing the face of your daughter or son
yet continuing to gaze at the tiny features and bright eyes
to touch the soft cheeks and hands
A well of wonder which never runs dry

It means hours of feeding, tiring and tender
Belly to belly, a perfect fit

It means anxiety, fear, and guilt
It means love above all
A thousand kisses and endearments

It means manifold dreams for their future
and dreams given up
and new dreams, hitherto unknown, stitched from surprising moments
like new morning smiles and Eskimo kisses

Being a mother means life:
mine and my husband’s, woven into someone new
Hello little one, little growing one, little loved one
You’ve changed my life
You’re what being a mother means
and I’ll tell you -
It means everything.