Would you think highly of a woman if you knew her biggest accomplishment in life was becoming a mother? Would you really respect "motherhood" as someone's choice to focus on?
In this world where doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs are the holy grails of careers, I used to stutter at parties when being asked the famous, "so what do you do...?" question. I'd be embarrassed when I had to answer and say "I'm just a stay at home mom" and get pity gazes.
After being a full-time mom for 6 years to two boys, I can tell you with certainty it's not just being a mother. From pregnancy diabetes to breastfeeding, juggling parenting and homeschooling with cooking and chores, it's no walk in the park I can tell you that much.
To tell you the truth, it's not just the physical toll, but it's really mentally, emotionally and even at times spiritually draining. Oh and that "tumaba ka" comment doesn't help.
After being a mother myself, I gained a whole new perspective of how sacrificial a mother can and will always be. The kids come first and I may not have realized it before but the sacrifices my mom made for us now became evidently clear and I'm humbled by it.
There is now a new term coined for moms like me - who choose to stay home with the kids and juggle/struggle to pursue our dreams, they call us Mompreneurs. Fancy title I can now use at parties haha. But honestly, my title as Mom is my biggest accomplishment and one that I am most proud of, one I'll gladly work hard at for the rest of my life.
Way to go moms! Hang in there. *cheers to us*
Marie