On parents

Sometimes I can't sleep at night. And my mind starts going into overdrive.

I just keep thinking about stuff.

Like, how will I be as a Mama? What's it going to be like? I know my life is going to be different... but how? Will I love it? Will my baby love me unconditionally?

And then I start thinking about my parents. My Mom did what I'm doing now. She carried me for 9 months. She dealt with the heartburn and the exhaustion and the morning sickness. For me. She experienced all the things I'm experiencing now. Like, my first kick inside her tummy. She probably felt the same amazement and wonder that I feel now. She did all this. Just for me.

It completely blows my mind.

I'm starting to see my parents in a different way already. Now that I'm experiencing these things and I know my Mom did it, too (and gladly) for my brother and I, I find that I'm continually amazed by my parents.

My Mom and Dad were such good parents. I thought I really appreciated them before this. But this... this is new.

We went through some rough times as a family. But I didn't really know about any of it at the time. I didn't know until much, much later in life when I was an adult. And that's because my parents gave me the care-free kid's life that all children want and need. They put me and every little need I had before themselves.

And why? Why did they do that?

I guess I didn't really understand or fully appreciate everything they did for me or why they did it until I felt my baby for the first time. When I started to know this new, incredible love.

My love for my parents has always been incredible. But now? I think now it's going to be taken to a whole new level.

Man, I'm lucky.