The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love

One of Peace Corps’ slogans is “The toughest job you’ll ever love.” I wholeheartedly agreed with this while in Peace Corps. The cultural and language barriers alone certainly made it difficult, but I loved the opportunity to do such varied and challenging work while experiencing parts of the world I’d never seen.

Then I had my son and I had to disagree with the Peace Corps: parenting is hands down the toughest job you’ll ever love. A full body makeover (not for the better), seventeen hours of torture, repeated sleepless nights, tonnes of responsibility - and that just in the first nine months (better not to think of the next 18 years)… tough doesn’t come close to describing it. And yet, when I could feel his little foot kicking inside, when he looked into my eyes, touched my face, held my hand, said “Mama” – I loved him like nothing ever before.

Now that he’s 13 (!) and my daughter is 6, I’ve learned new levels of toughness…and love. Tough love is remaining firm in a “no” even when faced with a blue-faced, eye-popping, floor-kicking, hair-pulling temper tantrum. It’s limiting TV and video game time even when faced with pleading, puppy-dog eyes, great reasoning, and/or tears and recriminations. It’s allowing your daughter to go to school in that eye-jarring get-up with her hair half out of its pony tail because she is so proud that she got herself ready. It's listening to what "so-and-so" did during recess or a soccer game knowing that beyond giving guidance, you have to let them fight their own battles. And to think - I get paid less as a mother than I did in the Peace Corps… Hmmmm.

Just as well motherhood is priceless.