Saturday, April 27, 2013

By: Mari

Today, my friend Mari is sharing how she feels about motherhood. I've known Mari since my very first fall semester in college. I'll never forget a conversation we had we went out to dinner one night about our dreams of finding real success and totally believing that each other would find it.  She's the creator of Autumn Dame, a darling etsy shop with handmade goodness. This girl has amazing, effortless taste (always has)! Read on to see her darling newborn William.
 
 
What Motherhood Means to me...
 
My name is Mari Spiker. 
 
 
I am 27 yrs old.
I am married to a handsome, hardworking, and loving man.
We have been married for 6.5yrs & live in the beautiful Newport Beach, CA.
I enjoy spending time with our two families above all else.
I have a deep love for the autumn season.
I am spoiled with the most beautiful and wonderful friends in the world.
I love to indulge in terrible fashion television, Haagen Daaz milk shakes, and shopping.

20 days ago I became a mother.

 
Instantly my life has been transformed into a richer, fuller, and happier existence. How I viewed myself changed. How I viewed the world changed. Everything changed.

This child had lived in my dreams my entire life. The idea of becoming a mother seemed surreal. I have the greatest example of motherhood in my own mother. She has made being a mother seem like such an honor. Being her child I always felt loved, supported, and encouraged. Life with her was full of magic and she had a way of making the hardest times seem wonderful.

As a girl you "know" you will be a mother, but you can't imagine it...it seems so far off in the future. As a young married woman at 21, my focus was to support my spouse through law school and then we could start our family. As with almost everything else in life, nothing goes to plan. Our story of infertility is not uncommon. Sadly, many face this trial. We struggled for over 3yrs and it felt hopeless. During this time, I felt as if my heart had broken. That "off in the future" feeling I had as a girl had turned into a desperate, suffocating reality that I may never experience the thing I desired most. So, as you can imagine the emotional roller coaster coming to an end the day we found out we were finally expecting. Those 9months were full of ups & downs, but man how they flew. My excitement and anticipation only grew.

On April 1, 2013 my dreams came true and I met the other love of my life.
Our son, William.

The moment I held him in my arms I felt as if my heart might burst. I had been so excited & thought about holding him for so long--but I had no idea how this boy would make me feel the moment I met him. My sweet angel. My little miracle. I thank the Lord every single day for this blessing.
 
 

My experience with motherhood, tho very brief, has meant more than just joy. More than just sacrifice, sleep deprivation, or an entire life transformation. Motherhood means everything to me. This child has made my heart whole again.

I look forward to this new life of mine. I have never been happier or felt more complete. The adventure & the dream have begun! I hope I can give him a life like mine--full of wonder, magic, and love. 

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