Mother’s Day was a lot different this year. Although we typically stay home anyway (Alex cooks!), it’s certainly unusual to feel a bit more confined within even our own neighborhood. All the same, I couldn’t feel any more lucky to be mama to my baby girls.
Alex spoiled me again this year with another tear-inducing video of what motherhood has looked like over the past year.
The most magical part of mothering two is seeing my girls play together — rolling around on the floor, chasing each other around the house, and embarking on adventure after adventure, hand-in-hand. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked in on the girls sitting side-by-side reading to each other, playing peek-a-boo behind the curtains, or Dakota instructing Nora on exactly how to (or how NOT to) make pancakes in their play kitchen. Without any notice, one can set off the other into a fit of giggles that cascades across the whole family.
Of course, it’s not always easy. Juggling two very different personalities, learning activities, emotional and developmental needs — not to mention food preferences! — can feel overwhelming. Both girls hate sharing mama’s lap, dada’s attention, and an overabundance of toys. What little time I have freed up by their ability to occupy each other for small amounts of time is often consumed with refereeing little fights. But more often than not, the two absolutely adore each other. Both still very young but also incredibly capable of expressing so much, it’s clear that Dakota and Nora share the purest love for each other on a cellular level. I don’t know how to put it into words.
I’ve always believed that my own siblings are one of life’s greatest gifts, and I feel honored to have had the opportunity to give that gift to both of my girls. They will forever have each other, unmistakably bonded, to share in all of life’s joys, sorrows, challenges and triumphs. It’s the only bond that truly lasts a lifetime with a depth that can only exist through a lifetime of shared experiences. My brother and my sister are — and always have been — everything to me. For more than half my life, they were my life force, turning my world round. I’m so excited to watch Dakota and Nora continue to grow with each other and share that same divine connection with each other.
