Appreciation

As I've been posting my experiences and some trials on my blog and of facebook, I have received so much support and encouragement.  I have read other moms blogs who don't share this experience, and it makes me sad.  All moms, especially new moms, need to feel supported and loved so that they can pass that on to their children.

I have found that the joys of motherhood are often matched in number by the trials of motherhood.  And we need a network of people who will share both the joys and the trials.  Sometimes it is hard for new moms, and I speak mostly for myself, to seek help when things aren't going the way they should.  I tend to want to put on a happy face and make everyone believe that all is well.  Most of the time I can manage this, because there are so many happy times.  But as other mothers can attest, there are times when things aren't going so smoothly.  These are times when my first response is to tough it out and not let outsiders (or even my husband, sometimes) see that something might be wrong.

Recently I have been documenting some of these times on this blog, most notably the breastfeeding issues, and I have received so many words of encouragement that I am very humbled.  I also have been included in a mom's group on facebook, and I am very grateful for the non-judgmental attitude I have found among those women.

I can't say that I've never received any condescending words or comments, and I'm not naive enough to think that I won't ever receive them again.  But I praise God for a group of wonderful friends and family who have been overwhelmingly supportive, and are encouraging me through some trials and sharing in my joys as well.  I pray that other moms will have this same kind of network of support to help them through the most challenging and rewarding time of their lives.

I will close by saying THANK YOU to all of you!