Mama Motivation

In the past year I’ve been thinking about what motivates Moms. While being a corporate gal for the majority of my adult life, I was motivated by business trips to exotic locations (like Boise and Tempe), dress down Fridays, and morning meetings that included chocolate milk in addition to the standard donuts and OJ. I especially enjoyed it when my boss would get us string cheese and Pirate Booty to munch on during grueling ten hour workdays.

Nowadays, I’m the walking snack-pack. My bag is overflowing with fruit snacks and Froot Loops, and is growing Goldfish crackers like a mobile Chia-Pet. My current manager is half my size, 28 years my junior, and works me much longer than the FLSA ever wanted when establishing the 40-hour-work-week. I’m his meal ticket, personal shopper, and translator of his special dialect. I’m in desperate need of some solitude and a strong drink, none of which are coming my way. I asked my son for a few days off, and he chuckled and demanded I sing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” one more time.

So why do we do it? What drives us to endure the feedings, teething, and temper tantrums? Sure, you get to wake up to sweet, innocent faces and all the “blessings in heaven” jazz. But motherhood’s a hard gig, and yet we keep on keepin’ on. There’s no sticker charts or merit badges for our future, just the simple satisfaction that our efforts result in a happy, well-balanced humans.

I believe that as cliché as it sounds, the payoff lies in the little things. For me, I love when my son spontaneously counts things, sings the ABC’s, or asks to listen to his favorite musicians: Savage Garden and Sade. Truth be known, we’re each other’s favorite companion and wouldn’t spend our days any other way than together. All in all, I believe the work is worth it. Spending my days (and nights) as a mom is worth more than all the chocolate milk and exotic business trips in the world. And solitude or chaos, I wouldn’t have it any other way.