Here’s to the mamas
who sniffed the necks of their newborn babies and those who
could finally stop pacing when the adoption papers came through.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who sat through endless Zoom meetings with a 
2-year old on their lap 
and those who put on a face-shield to scan groceries at Kroger.
 
Here’s to the mamas
who planted a garden and made kombucha and those who 
had a half-eaten granola bar and 
stale Goldfish crackers for lunch.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who got up at 5am to run and those who 
never changed out of their jammies.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who carried on through bleeding nipples and tongue-ties and 
those who shook the guilt out of their bottles of Similac.
 
Here’s to the mamas
who planned Pinterest-worthy activities for rainy days and 
those wholeft Netflix on for 8 hours.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who meal-planned and counted carbs and to those who
ordered pizza and polished off the box of Oreos in the bathroom.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who have old yogurt on their shirts and poop on their fingers and to 
those who pay a nanny so they can feel 
sane and normal for a few hours.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who find validation in posting sanctimonious greatness and 
those who can barely make it through the day.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who missed a first word or first step while at work and those who 
can’t take another minute of their child’s face 
by the time dad gets home.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who Instagram their toned abs and C-section scars and those who 
squeeze their jiggly behinds into yoga pants 
and pee when they laugh.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who never sleep and those who 
can’t make themselves get out of bed.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who chased a screaming toddler through the grocery store and 
those who stayed up all night waiting for their teenager to come home.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who fought like a panther to save their babies from a man and 
those who still need to escape.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who paid $700 for an Epi-pen to save their child’s life and 
those whose unemployment check forces them to choose 
between diapers and dinner.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who sat through four soccer games on a blustery Saturday and 
those who sat next to a NICU bed for four weeks.
 
Here’s to the mamas 
who chose their babies over the booze or the pipe and those who 
haven’t yet found the strength.
 
Here’s to the mama 
who feels like she’s never enough. 
Here’s to the mama
who feels like this is all too much.
 
You are amazing, no matter who you are. 
I raise my cup of lukewarm coffee to you.  
 
©Vixen Lea 2020

Read: To Be A Woman