WARNING! This post is abnormally sentimental!

So tomorrow is my second mother's day. The past 18 months as a mother have taught me so much and challenged me more than I ever imagined. Motherhood brings me unrivalled joy and yet fills me with anxiety. It has made me look at myself and the world in a whole new way. I cannot describe how it feels to be responsible for nurturing a tiny human being, to be the one that they look to for comfort and guidance. Being a mum makes me want to be a better person, be more generous, be kinder, more caring, more considerate and model a strong but gentle woman to my daughter as she grows. Being a mum has, and I suspect will continue to push my emotions to the limit but without doubt it is one of THE MOST fun experiences of my life. O has a wonderful sense of humour and I love watching her pulling faces or doing python-esque silly walks to make me laugh. I will never tire of the joy of dancing around the house with her, holding her hand when we walk down the street or blowing raspberries on her neck to make her laugh. I cherish every day that I have with her. Even the days where she has screamed all days or the days she has tested my patience to the limits.

One of the other things about becoming a mother is the way in which it has given me a new perspective on my own mum and the relationship that we have. I have a renewed respect for the woman my mum is, for the things that she has taught me and the sacrifices that she made for me. I am so thankful that she has allowed me to explore the world and figure out who I am (still a work in progress) but always provides a safe place to come back to. I am thankful for how she has has never judged me, always been supportive and exceedingly generous. I am pretty sure that I don't say thank you to her enough and that I drive her crazy for a variety of reasons (lack of ironed clothes to name one) but I am so appreciative that she is my mum :-)

So as I reflect on the theme of motherhood, I look forward to continuing the journey with some truly wonderful individuals and I hope that they enjoy the journey with me.