Discovering the other side of parenthood: why I love my parents more

This is written by ChatGPT and me. I asked it to flesh out my social media post and it was spot on.

It’s wild how we grow up seeing only one version of our parents—the strong, capable, put-together side they showed us. But there was always another side, one we rarely noticed: the worrying, praying, sleepless side. The side that carried the weight of love in ways we couldn’t understand… until now.

I remember being sick as a kid, lying in bed at night, pretending to be asleep while my mom gently placed her hand on my forehead to check for a fever. Part of me felt special knowing she was checking on me, and another part—typical kid logic—was annoyed she interrupted my sleep. Now, after spending sleepless nights rocking my own baby, whispering prayers over him, I finally get it.

Yesterday, I cried—actually cried—watching a Winnie the Pooh episode. The one where Christopher Robin says goodbye to Pooh. And all I could see was my baby, growing up, becoming independent, and one day not needing mommy the same way anymore.

Parenthood is a journey, one that tugs at my heart in ways I never expected. But more than anything, it’s given me a deeper appreciation for my own parents—the quiet sacrifices, the prayers I never knew they whispered, the unseen love woven into every moment.

Now, I see them differently. Now, I love them even more. And now, I feel every bit of this love in my own motherhood journey.

Lord, help me—because motherhood has my heart on my sleeve like never before. 💕