BurlingtonVT Moms Blog is partnering with Vermont Midwives Association to bring you our latest series titled “How I Became a Mother” in honor of Mother’s Day. Each of us has a unique journey on how we got here…here being in this crazy thing called motherhood. Some of us have grown our families through adoption, some through donor sperm. Some of us have struggled with infertility while others of us have needed to rely on faith and science. Bringing a child into this world is no less than miraculous regardless of how it’s done. These next two weeks we want to share with you the stories of how we became mothers, to let you know that no two families are born the same. Join us on this journey as we celebrate Moms!
What Kind of Mom?
I am someone who enjoys adventure, and new experiences. For a few years my mother was afraid I would run off to somewhere in Africa and live there forever. I was never one of those girls who dreamed about her wedding day. I was also never one of those girls who (consciously) yearned to raise a family. I didn’t know what my future would hold, but that was just part of the adventure.
When I do get an idea of what I want I seize it and run with it.
One day, while in grad school, I suddenly announced to my boyfriend that I didn’t want yet another “dating anniversary.” Poor guy thought I was going to wreck his plan because he was already hiding a ring in his closet and planning a proposal. Then one day, several months after getting married, I made another abrupt announcement, “Do you want to have a baby?” And he said yes.
About six months later I was pregnant. It was late 2008, the start of the Great Recession, and I found myself laid off from my job the Monday before Thanksgiving. I looked for new work over the next few months but was conflicted. Conflicted about interviewing for jobs I wasn’t sure I would want to keep after my baby was born because I didn’t know what kind of mother I wanted to be. My own mother stayed home when I was little so it was a familiar path. Yet, I had just recently gotten my masters degree and felt like I had better use it.
I don’t know what I will do for work after I finish being a SAHM. I know it’s a temporary gig, but I choose to live in the moment. My decision on what to do next may become clear as suddenly as deciding I was ready to marry and start a family.
