Mothers do not get enough credit. If you are a good mother you will certainly get nothing as far as accolades go. If you are a bad mother you might find yourself on the evening news.
Being a mom is not easy. I wish all the mothers I know would give themselves a pat on the back and then cut themselves some slack.
"It is soooooo hard!" My girlfriends, my clients, I, all say..... we all have a tough task a head of us. Whether you have five children or are finding your way with your first, parenting is something we all must work at.
But here's my take on the deal - I often tell myself that it's not supposed to be easy. And just reminding myself of that fact, somehow takes a subconscious load off my back.
Thanks to Mrs. Y in the first grade, we came across this awesome, live *video feed of an eagles nest in Iowa. My entire family is captured by the mother eagle and her eggs (now eaglets as some are beginning to hatch).
Other times we've logged in and witness mama getting up only to promptly turn around and sit back down facing another direction. (riveting)
But there have been a handful of times we've seen her rearranging her nest or nudging the eggs around, fluffing them with her feet and most recently (gasp!) preparing a rabbit for dinner.
I'm pretty enthralled with this mama bird as well. A quick search online tells me that it can take about 2 months for eagle eggs to hatch.
For 2 months this mama eagle will sit.
And sit.
And rearrange.
And nudge.
And prepare dinner.
And sit.
And noone will thank her. Her eaglets will not burst forth from their eggs grateful for her time spent keeping them safe and warm. No, in fact the only thing on their mind will be food. They will chirp incessantly for food to be brought to them. She will have to tend to them, keep the now semi-mobile babies safe in the nest and eventually kick them out - teach them how to fly and be successful little National Symbols themselves.
So it is with us. It's hard, boring, thankless, kinda-dangerous work. But I don't do it for the praise. I do it because I believe the little babies in my nest will grow up someday and leave. And when they leave I want them to fly.
So yes, it is hard to parent. But it's not too hard. I only have to do it egg by egg ...er day by day. And speaking of - excuse me my little eagles are calling for breakfast ....as I wrap this up....
*Watch the eagle live w us http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles