To the Mom at the grocery store:

She is in the checkout lane, trying to peel her toddler off the floor, hoping a handful of bunny cookies will coerce her into submission, just long enough for her to check out and get the hell out of there.

To the Mom at the restaurant:

She thinks everyone is judging her because one of her children is pitching a fit, the other is throwing food and the baby wants to nurse in public—and she forgot her nursing cover. She is awesome and deserves to eat her dinner without feeling judged or feeling guilty for not cooking her family dinner.

To the Mom in the NICU:

Holding her tiny baby for the first time, trying to feed him her milk as best she can. Wondering when, if ever, she will get to bring him home and rock him in the hand-me-down rocking chair sitting in the nursery. She is loved and she is blessed.

To the working Mom:

She sits at her computer desk all day, feeling guilty that she is not reading her child a story from her favorite book. She comes home from a long day at work to find pee on the floor of the bathroom (Whose? Don’t know.) and a pile of dishes in the sink. But she smiles anyway. She greets her children as blessings and snuggles up against their soft hair before starting to cook dinner.

To the Birth Mother:

The baby she gave birth to sleeps in a different home tonight. Her choice will haunt her but it was the most selfless act anyone could perform. Another woman is made a mother by her unselfish decision. She knows the meaning of true love.

To the stay-at-home Mom:

She wonders why the days seem to fly by and crawl past all in the same breath. Her bosses are two feet tall and extremely demanding but she loves them more than she loves herself. At the end of the day when they finally shut their eyes, she can’t help but sit next to their bed for one more minute, one more precious moment of silence while gazing into their beautiful faces.

To the moms who never feel they are enough for their children and families.
To the moms who have not gotten a shower or peed alone in more than a year.
To the new moms.
To the old moms.
To the moms who are suffering from the loss of a child,
To the moms who are rejoicing at the birth of a healthy baby.
To the moms who try their hardest to be everything to everyone.

Moms, remember that you are necessary, loved and crucial to the well-being of our children and our world. Remember to treat yourself with the kindness and compassion you so easily give to others.

And now go get that shower (alone) that you have been dreaming of all year.

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Apprentice Editor: Yaisa Nio / Editor: Rachel Nussbaum

Photo: The Graphics Fairy