This leads me to the subject of accidental pain and wanting to LOSE IT! How many of you have had the experience where you accidentally bump into or get hit by something and are caught off guard? Example: I was getting my son, Jack, ready to take him on one of our daily "adventures" to the park, and as I had him in my arms and opened the passenger door of our Jeep, the metal corner of the door slammed into my head. It was one of those quick "car accident" type moments where it all happened so slow, yet so fast. I realized in a nano-second that I had been hit and my first instinct was (as it's always been) to take this opportunity and BREAK DOWN!!!
Ahhh… the cathartic breakdown and sensation of release that always comes with just letting those tears pour out of my eyes. Historically, the event happens – I get hit in the head, stub my toe, etc… and then I realize – in THAT moment – “I’ve been hurt! I can finally cry!” Not because I stubbed my toe – I mean it usually hurts, but not THAT much. But because I just NEED to cry. And in this instance, if I had actually LET MYSELF cry it would have probably gone something like this…
Oh my GOD. I had NO idea this would be my life. I had no idea that I would never get to have my own emotions again – to not even be able to cry when I hurt myself. I had no idea that I’d have to stop all evidence of emotions in fear that it would scare my baby son. No one told me that I’d have to always come off as this power woman, keeping it together at all times – when he cries uncontrollably in the night and I haven’t had sleep for months, to when he insists on throwing all the food I’ve just prepared for him to the dog. When he repeatedly brings me the books he wants read, but once I read he just starts crying – I’m not doing it right. Somedays it really feels like about 90% of what I do as a Mom is all wrong. Like I’m just guessing all day long. And it’s hard. As much as I love him (and I do more than life), it’s very hard. No one warned me about this.
I wish someone had warned me of this because I just realized -- as a new Mom, when I accidentally get hurt, I don’t get to have those cathartic cries anymore. I'm pretty sure those days are over. Maybe they’ll come back when Jack’s older? I doubt it. I don’t think I want him seeing just how fragile his Mommy really is.