Before I was a mom… I would have never read this columnPerfectly timed for Mother’s Day, a delightful e-mail essay has been making its rounds in inboxes all over the world.I know it’s been circulating at least on local servers because it found its way to my desk several times in the past week.It’s called "Before I Was a Mom," and I wasn’t going to share it in my column, thinking it was outdated and too many moms had already seen it. But Tuesday morning, when I lifted Carson from his crib, he wrapped his little arms and legs and around me in a giant, all-he-could-muster good-morning hug.He also had a giant, wet, sagging poopy diaper that leaked through his jammies … and onto me.Despite the smelly mess, that little encounter was easily the best thing that happened to me all day.After cleaning poop off Carson, his jammies, his bedding and then off myself, I decided the e-mail message (author unknown) is probably worth repeating for both moms and dads. (The rest of you might bother skimming it so you know what drives us to do the things we do.)Before I was a Mom …I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.Before I was a Mom …I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.Before I was a Mom …I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Spit on. Chewed on. Peed on.I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.I slept all night.Before I was a Mom …I never held down a screaming child so that nurses could give shots.I never looked into teary eyes and cried.I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.Before I was a Mom …I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.I never knew that I could love someone so much.I never knew I would love being a Mom.Before I was a Mom …I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.Before I was a Mom …I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.
