“Mama?” Silence. “Mama?” I feel her body begin to shift. Her small hands reach out in hope that they will land on my resting body. “Mama?” I slowly turn over and wrap her little body in my arms, hugging her to my chest. Her little fingers wrap around my shirt as I pull her in closer and kiss her forehead.
This is the scene that plays out multiple times a night: Waking me from a restful sleep into the joys of motherhood, my daughter calling out into the darkness, reaching out for the comfort that only I can provide.
This morning as I held her in my arms and felt her chest rise and fall with each breath, my heart burst with joy and I was reminded of the quote by Nayyirah Waheed, “My mother was my first country, the first place I ever lived.”
I may not be the president of the United States, the queen of England, the chancellor of Germany, or the prime minister of New Zealand, but I am a mother. I am more powerful and influential than all political leaders because my influence will span across time and generations. It was a timely reminder that it doesn’t matter who leads in the White House because I lead in my house.
~Kim
