Motherhood Is A Superpower

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“Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children“

-William Makepeace Thackeray

Before seeing it first hand, I’m not sure I truly understood what Motherhood demands, nor how powerful mothers really are.

I always assumed it was challenging, but I used to mostly focus on the logistics: diapers, playdates, school pickups, the eternal juggling act.

What I missed was the extraordinary number of internal battles being fought. The emotional reckoning. The ways in which Motherhood forces you to confront every unresolved identity issue, insecurity, trauma, and boundary you’ve never had to fully deal with before.

Motherhood is a superpower not just because of what it allows you to do, but because of what it asks you to become.

An Unmatched Origin Story

The act of becoming a mother is itself an extraordinary transformation.

The ability to grow and deliver a human is unmatched in its physical and emotional demands. I’ve literally never felt so humbled.

Whether it’s a natural birth or a c-section, the experience is traumatic to the body.

That’s only the beginning.

In the earliest weeks and months, sleep disappears. Bodies ache. Emotions crash.

You are recovering from major physical trauma while learning how to feed, comfort, and care for a new human being who depends on you for EVERYTHING.

Through it all, the overwhelming power of love keeps you going. At least, that’s the only plausible explanation I’ve come up with.

It’s in this crucible that a set of superpowers begin to emerge: resilience, sacrifice, hyper-awareness, precognition, emotional regulation, and an uncanny ability to keep moving forward no matter what.

All this and a lot more.

Little Moments, Massive Impact

From what I’ve seen, Mothers live on high alert.

Whether it’s a toddler tantrum in public store or a subtle change in behavior, moms seem to always be scanning. It’s like an invisible radar for danger, discomfort, or a sudden shift in mood.

From that radar, action follows. Mothers step in. They soothe, adjust, listen, anticipate, and lead.

They deploy empathy, patience, strength, and presence — often simultaneously.

It might look like keeping calm in chaos. It might look like reading a child’s silence when no one else notices something is wrong.

These are small moments, but they stack into something big: power that is always active, always adapting.

The Internal Conflict

Like any hero’s journey, Motherhood isn’t a straight path. There is constant tension between three modes:

• Instinct: What you intuitively FEEL is right.
• Reaction: What you FEEL like doing in the moment, often as a result of your own past experiences, fears, and traumas.
• Choice: The space between the instinct and reaction, where conscious decisions about how to respond are made.

In Motherhood, these forces are always present, and always colliding.

However, it appears that it’s through this very tension that the most growth happens. You see it in those moments where the reactionary rage in their eyes, is followed by a deep breath and a softening. Instead of screaming, they ask questions, and seek to help everyone regulate their emotions.

It is from these moments that a more powerful, more patient, more self-aware version of themselves emerges.

The Invisible Shift

From what I’ve witnessed, not just from the mother of my own children, but all of the mothers I’ve come to know in friendships, is that Motherhood changes every relationship.

Each mother I’ve spoken to acknowledges a shift in how they relate to their own parents.

They begin to see them differently. Understand their flaws, their sacrifices. Maybe even forgive them.

Next, I’ve seen how much more grace they come to offer to everyone. It’s as if all-at-once they recognize that everyone is walking around with their own invisible burdens. This makes them more empathetic and less judgmental.

They also become much stronger as a result of shifts in their baseline levels of managing discomfort.

• Managing the emotions of an adult is almost laughably easier after learning to regulate a toddler’s rage.
• I’ve been told that pain is given new context when compared to childbirth.

But with all of these strengths, another challenge often awaits.

The Power of Self-Healing

Motherhood is often framed around sacrifice. And yes, that’s part of it.

But if that’s the only story, it becomes a trap.

Too many mothers lose themselves in service of others. They forget how to heal. How to listen inward.

This is sets up the ultimate challenge for many mothers. It requires them to learn one of their most important superpowers: Self-healing.

It begins by learning how to choose themselves without guilt. Far from an act of selfishness, this is a radical act of love.

Because when a mother is able to prioritize herself and care for others, she becomes unstoppable.

Fully Powered-Up

Mothers, fully expressed and fully powered up, are some of the most powerful people on the planet.

They know who they are and what they’re fighting for. They lead with empathy. They protect what matters. They create structure and freedom. They model self-love and teach emotional intelligence. They live with fierce clarity.

And they don’t just raise children — they shape the future.

Start Here

Whether you’re a mother, partnered with one, work with one, or were raised by one, recognize the superpowers around you.

Recognize the storm they’ve weathered, the strength they’ve built, the love they give.

If you are a mother, take one deep breath. Acknowledge the strength it took to get here.

Then remind yourself: this is only the beginning.

Motherhood is a Superpower.

Don’t just survive it.

Wield it.

You’ve earned it.

Happy Mother’s Day!

👸🏻🦄