No One Ever Tells You

December 17, 2009

I think children should come with warning labels. No one ever tells you that as soon as you clean up, they’ll find a way to make an even bigger mess. Or that it’s fun to spit food out all over the place, or go through the bathroom garbage and throw it all over. No one ever tells you that there will constantly be crunchberries crunched into the carpet, or that your pants will NEVER be clean because as soon as you wash them, something will spill or dirty little hands will be wiped on them. Or that you’ll have to buy a small enough Christmas tree that it can be put on a high stand because if you don’t, you know that every last ornament would be stripped from it in 3 seconds flat. No one ever tells you how hard it is to make a one year old understand what “sit down in your seat or you’ll fall and break your neck” means. Or how it feels when you tell a baby “NO! NO! NO!” and they laugh at you- even if you give them a spank.

I think no one tells you that because if they did, no one would ever have children. And it’s impossible to describe the feeling of a soft baby cheek against yours. Or how incredible it feels to have them touch your cheek and know that what they mean is, “I love you mommy.” Or the feeling that fills your heart when you see them sleeping so peacefully in their crib. I think it’s impossible to understand, until you have one of your own, how wonderful it feels to have his little tiny arms reach around your neck and give you a big hug. Or how sweet and perfect a big wet kiss feels, even though you need a whole towel to wipe all the drool off your face after. Or just to have that sweet little face and those perfect brown eyes look up at you and smile.

I think no one tells you all those bad things because it’s impossible to comprehend, until you have your own, how all those things aren’t even bad things. How you’ll grow to love it all because it’s part of being a mommy, and NOTHING in this world is better than that.