Moms, hold your little one tight tonight…

How often have you found yourself reading something that changes your life and shakes your belief?

How often have you just held your baby a little closer, just to smell her scent, and feel the warmth and contentment that only a baby can feel … the safe snuggle, a little sleep giggle, and just that need to be closer.

How often have you had your breastfed baby just snuggle closer with tiny little hands dragging you into their best position?

How often have you wanted to yell because your sleep deprived body had just become comfortable only to realize that baby starts fussing?

The beauties of motherhood – little joys that we take for granted. Whispers of love and trust… safe in the arms of mom, dad, aunt, and granny…

Until… we open social media, and reality hits! You cannot trust anyone with your baby.

Soft snuggle moments become a suspect. We get too afraid to cuddle, what if… We closet our kids.

Question them constantly, then pressurize them. A slight pain, a different comment, and mom senses are on alert.

What’s happening? Where did you hear that? Why does it hurt? Are you sure that no one touched you?

Are we destroying our children’s innocence?

What are the implications of not explaining, and how do you explain “inappropriate touches…”

My heart and my head hurt!

I want to cry for the raping of our children, for the hurt, for the loss of innocence, for the betrayal of trust. For the pain!

We are slowly destroying innocence.

As a mother who is about to have her third baby in a weeks’ time, I’m shattered.

The world has become a scary place! We are living amongst monsters who forgot what a blessing children are.

We need to be mourning the death of our innocent children and babies who lost their lives because of abuse, rape, crime, and poverty!

We need to face the reality that these stories that we read can affect any one of us.

I have become this paranoid mom who is always alert and feels unsafe every time I step out of my door.

I am always turning around and find myself checking my rear-view mirror to see if someone may be following me. I hold my children’s hands extra tight in shopping malls so that no one can easily snatch them away from me.

I am afraid to let them play freely outside.

I am afraid to take afternoon walks in the neighborhood with them.

I keep asking myself if it is going to get better? But my mind keeps telling me NEVER.

So moms… hold your little one’s tight tonight!

Kiss them a little more and hug them for a little longer.

Last night, I took a moment to stare at my kids while they were asleep and appreciate what I have and how blessed I am.

For a moment, I forgot about everything happening in the world around us and embraced what was in front of me.

Motherhood is a rollercoaster of emotions, it’s hard but I don’t regret what I have today.

I helped create little humans who have changed my life forever.

They taught me the importance of laughter, love, family, and joy.

Because of them, I see the world differently.

I have realized the beauty of living, smiling and affection.

I appreciate the little moments and I embrace the now.