What Makes a Mom?

I’m not a mom but I know how to change a diaper,
how to bathe a newborn,
how to soothe a colicky baby in the middle of the night,
how to put together a crib,
and how to proof a two story dwelling against rugrats.

I’m not a mom but I have dropped off kids on their first day of school,
Set up carseats and training wheels,
Attended plays and dance recitals.
I’ve cried when diplomas were earned,
When saying goodbye to a new college co-ed departing to fulfill their dreams.

I’m not a mom but I know what it feels like to give someone away,
To provide comfort and compassion to a broken teenage heart,
To love someone more than they are able to do so for themselves;
Providing unconditional support helps a soul grow and prosper.

If doing all this doesn’t make one a mother,
I don’t know what will.
Stop measuring your worth in number of births,
Of labor hours;
True sacrifice and devotion to a child forges motherhood, not a title or recognition from society.
What makes a mother a momma is love.