there is never "just a mom"

much thanks to my friend amy for encouraging me to write this post.

{A little background}

It was Monday, and I was at urgent care with Brennan. He had been up most of the night wheezing and coughing - and honestly, I was worried that he had pneumonia. We came in, they did a pulse ox, saw that he had lower oxygen, and ordered an xray {and just for reference Brennan is fine}.

Enter the doctor {at a busy urgent care}. He looks over Brennan announces that he has a cold and proceeds to send me on my way. I politely ask about the low oxygen - he didn't know - he had walked in without being told that we'd already had an xray - in the busy atmosphere the message was lost. Then once he regrouped he started asking questions about when and how long Brennan was sick. I explained to him that I was away for the weekend in Washington DC and that my husband told me that our family developed bad colds during that time. He excused himself to gather more details and returned and then out of genuine curiosity asked -

What do you do, mom? Why were you in DC?

I told him that I was speaking in Washington DC at a conference for Christian Homeschool Bloggers and that I speak and write on intentional parenting and finding joy in life.

His demeanor changed just a bit. Softened, in a way.

What if I had said, Oh, I'm just a mom? Because I've said that before.

And because really, honestly, I'm just a mom.

Actually, no, I'm a mom.

There should never be just in front of mom.

We as mothers should never feel the need to qualify that we are just a mom. Never.
We as mothers should never feel that being a mom makes us less.
We as mothers are never just a mom.

We are mothers.

We are raising the next generation. We are cooking cleaning teaching reading listening tending tired never giving up fighting working vacuuming cuddling praying rocking crying laughing managing mowing folding washing drying bandaging driving hoping living our lives moms.

There is no just.

Being a mother is an incredible and powerful role that has been diminished in society. We've learned to add that little four letter word just before our description. Now, it doesn't matter whether you're working, stay at home, part time working or more - a mother is a mother is a mother is a mother.

We are the ones that our littles want at 2am.
We are the ones who stay up late praying.
We are the ones who drive and then sit in the movie theater parking lot.
We are the ones who budget and rearrange and give up our own stuff for them.
We are never ever just a mom.

Isn't mom enough? I need to answer, you need to answer, with pride that we are mothers. There is never any reason to mumble it, look away, to think less - instead we need to remember that we are raising the next generation. Did you hear that? The next generation. Do not ever take that lightly!

Mom is enough. Mom is more than enough.

There is never just a mom.

There is mom.

Carry your mom head proudly and remember -

You are raising the next generation.

And that? That is amazing, to be respected, to be acknowledged, and to be thanked.

Thank you, moms, thank you.

You are way more than just a mom.

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and please note, this post was about my perception about how quickly I answer just a mom and has nothing to do with the doctor mentioned or his abilities as I am grateful for him and our medical professionals. thank you.