Dear Mom,

I get it now. The love only a mother can feel for her child. Connected from the inside out. Our hearts beating along side each other for so long. Creating this life. The kind of  love that is unconditional in its purest form. The kind of love you would literally jump in front of a bus for. I held that sweet baby in my arms and I was changed.

When she looks up at me, I see the man I fell in love with. I see the kind eyes of her grandfathers. 

I get it now.

I am fearful of all the hurt in the world. I want to shield her from any pain. Keep her safe here in my arms. Overwhelmed by all the things I can't control or protect her from. 

I get it now.

My heart bursts with every giggle, every excitement, every anything really. The joy I feel seeing her joy. Nothing else matters more. 

I get it now.

I see her kind heart, her stubbornness, her sensitivity and I am reminded of myself as a child. 

I get it now.

I am filled with pride over every thing she accomplishes. Sometimes, I have to refrain myself from shouting it from the rooftops.

I get it now.

I am humbled by the responsibility of being a mother. Every decision and every choice I make now isn't just about me. It is about her too.

I get it now.

The peacefulness I see in her face when I hold her in my arms. I am her safe haven. To her, I hang the moon.

I get it now.

I struggle with her independence. 

I want her to learn on her own. I want her to spread her wings and fly. 

I let her go.

All the while, I'm holding my breath. 

I get it now.

Mom, I get it now.

I understand why you held on to me so tightly. Why you loved me so intensely. Why you did the things you did growing up. Why it was so hard to let me go. 

Thank you for loving me that much.

Thank you for always being my safe haven.

Thank you for showing me how to love like only a mother loves her child.

Linking up with Huckleberry Love for Much Ado About Monday.

Alyssa