Carissa Bonham - The Little Green Book of Mothers Wisdom

Introductory text and arrangement copyright 2020 by Carissa Bonham Illustrations Getty Images All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. Cover design by Daniel Brount Cover photo credit: Getty Images Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-5602-1 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-5603-8 Printed in China To the fierce mama bears who found their voices and fought for their families in the face of corruption. Contents Introduction B ecoming a mother was an earth-shattering, transformative experience for me. This was only enhanced, of course, by all the hurdles that stood in my way.

I lost my first four pregnancies to miscarriage. When I unintentionally became pregnant a fifth time, my baby didnt have a heartbeat and the doctor told me it wasnt viable. Whether it was Gods whisper or my budding mothers intuition, something inside me wasnt ready to give up. Despite my doctors skepticism, two weeks later, my baby did have a heartbeat. That little not viable life grew and grew and was born three weeks earlyweighing in at more than ten poundson Mothers Day. The little miracle baby boy that first made me a mom is now a healthy and happy nine-year-old.

When he was born, my heart unfolded like an intricate piece of origami, to reveal new areas, sections, and compartments that I never knew existed. My capacity to love became greater than I could have ever imagined. It was like I hadnt quite fully been able to become myself until I became a mom. I now have a second little boy, as well, and being a mom feels like one of the most important things I could be doing for todays society. The world needs more kind, smart, compassionate, capable people. I know Im not the only one raising young kids today who feels the weight of the important role that mothers play in society as we raise more of the kinds of people that it needs.

So what makes this book green? When Skyhorse approached me about writing a new book for their Little Red Books series with quotes about motherhood, I was excited. But I also asked what they might think about making it a little green book. As a green lifestyle writer for Creative Green Living (www.creativegreenliving.com), my approach to life is distinctly green and that also affects how I approach motherhood. I care about toxins, sustainability, and waste. I breastfed, babywore, and practiced attachment parenting. I had a doula, a water birth, and used cloth diapers.

I believe I can make better medical choices for my baby (with advice from my doctor, of course) than any one-size-fits-all government program. So, some of the things that are attached to the way I approach motherhood are going to ooze out onto these pages. Not feeling so green yourself? We still have more in common as moms than you might realize. While you might not find that every quote resonates with you, I think youll find quite a few (the vast majority, even) that tug on your soul a little bit as they describe your own experience with motherhood. My hope is that no matter who you are or how green you feel, youll find quotes about motherhood in here that you love, that will remind you why you became a mom in the first place, and that youll love enough to share. About the quotes youll find here Ive done my best to find the best quotes possibleboth by mothers and about mothers.

Not everyone quoted is a mother themselves. There are several quotes by men or women who are not mothers about the profound impact mothers have and I found them insightful enough to share. Id also like to take this moment to recognize that history and humans are complicated. Quotes appear here based on their stand-alone merits and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the person or other viewpoints a quoted individual might hold. I hope you enjoy this book and find nuggets of truth to inspire you! Carissa Bonham The Journey to Motherhood Having a child flips your concept of love upside down into new depths, otherwise unknown to the human heart. J ULIEANNE OC ONNOR I didnt lose myself when I became a mom.

I found a new and better version of me. A LEXIS R OBINSON Little souls find their way to you, whether theyre from your womb or someone elses. S HERYL C ROW It is important to keep in mind that our bodies must work pretty well, or there wouldnt be so many humans on the planet. I NA M AY G ASKIN , I NA M AY S G UIDE TO C HILDBIRTH Having children just puts the whole world into perspective. Everything else just disappears. K ATE W INSLET All those clichsthose things you hear about having a baby and motherhoodall of them are true.

And all of them are the most beautiful things you will ever experience. P ENELOPE C RUZ Completeness? Happiness? These words dont come close to describing my emotions. There truly is nothing I can say to capture what motherhood means to me, particularly given my medical history. A NITA B AKER Being a mother is an attitude, not a biological relation. R OBERT A. H EINLEIN , H AVE S PACE S UIT W ILL T RAVEL Who is this angel, sent here to change me, sent here to take me where Ive never been? Long I have wandered, weary and waiting, for something to shake me and life to begin.

T HIS A NGEL BY J ENNIFER N ETTLES Giving birth does not make her a mother. Placing a child for adoption does not make her less of one. U NKNOWN You instantly become less selfish. You cant be the biggest person in the world anymorethey are. Motherhood really grounds you. K ERI R USSELL This mothering role will teach you more about yourself than you ever expected.

T RICIA G OYER , T EEN M OM: Y OU RE S TRONGER T HAN Y OU T HINK Becoming a mother makes you the mother of all children. From now on each wounded, abandoned, frightened child is yours. You live in the suffering mothers of every race and creed and weep with them. You long to comfort all who are desolate. C HARLOTTE G RAY Some say that pregnancy make a woman an instant mother. To that I say, I became an instant woman the day I became a mother.