Four years ago, on this day, at 3:04pm, Lily burst into this world, wide-eyed and full of life. On this day, at that exact moment, someone else was also born. I realize that the physical act of giving birth does not necessarily make someone a mother. But for me, this moment in time marked the beginning of a new life. In one instant I was no longer the me I had always known. I was something more. Holding this tiny baby of mine infused my life with meaning beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

I have spent the last four years getting to know my new self. During Lily’s birth, I experienced the depths and hidden crevices of my own strength and power. During the days (and weeks and months) of sleepless nights, I discovered persistence and willpower that I hadn’t known existed inside of me. During tantrums and cuddles and milestones and bedtimes, my heart expanded to accommodate the intensity of my love.

After Lily was born, I felt like the missing piece in my life, which I just hadn’t realized was missing before, had been found. Four years has flown by in one sense, but when I think about the ways that my life has completely and utterly changed, this period of time feels monumental. Motherhood is now fully integrated into my identity. I have become the person I always wanted to be because of my children. I owe them my life, my love, my everything.

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~ Rajneesh