The Moments I Once Longed For (And What Helped Us Get There)

There are moments in motherhood that people talk about all the time—the big ones, the expected ones. The “firsts” that seem to come so naturally for so many.

And if I’m being honest… there was a time I wasn’t sure we would get some of those moments.

I remember feeling this quiet jealousy watching other parents experience things so easily. The “I love you” slipping out effortlessly. The back-and-forth conversations. The milestones that seemed to come without waiting, without wondering, without the ache of when will it be our turn?

I longed for those moments.

Of course, my daughter was always showing me love—just in her own way. In the way she leaned into me. The way she looked at me. The way she needed me.

And if you’re in that place right now, one thing I wish someone had told me sooner is this:

Love doesn’t always look like words first.

Sometimes it looks like proximity.
Sometimes it looks like trust.
Sometimes it looks like them choosing you over and over again.

Those things matter more than we realize in the moment.

And then one day, it happened.

“I love you.”

So simple. So small to some.

But for us… everything stopped.

We looked at each other and just cried.

Because that moment carried so much more than just words. It held all the waiting, all the wondering, all the hope that lived quietly in my heart for so long.

And that’s the thing about this journey—these moments don’t feel ordinary. They feel earned. They feel deep. They feel like something you hold onto a little tighter because you know what it took to get there.

There were times I felt like we were being robbed of certain experiences. And I won’t pretend that feeling didn’t exist—because it did. It still does sometimes.

But what I’ve come to realize is this:

There are so many moments we get that other parents might never experience in the same way.

The joy of watching her light up when she talks about something she loves—especially animals. The way she dives so deeply into her interests, teaching me things I never knew.

And something I’ve learned along the way is to lean into those interests.

That’s where so much growth happens.

• When they’re engaged, they’re learning

• When they feel safe, they communicate more

• When we meet them where they are, we start to see more of who they are

Some of our biggest breakthroughs haven’t come from forcing new things—but from stepping into the things she already loves.

It’s in the little things.

The things that might seem small from the outside… but feel incredibly big in our world.

So if you’re in a season where you’re waiting for a milestone, here’s what I gently want to offer:

• Celebrate the “almosts”

• Pay attention to how your child already connects with you

• Follow their lead, even when it looks different than you expected

• And give yourself permission to grieve and feel joy at the same time

Because both can exist.

And the weight of these moments—the ones that come in their own time—is not lost on me.

Not even for a second.

Watching her see the world, learn the world, and experience it in her own way—it’s beautiful. Truly. Yes, it can be scary. I am, and probably always will be, an overprotective mom.

But it’s also the most incredible thing to witness.

Because I’m not just watching her grow.

I’m watching her become exactly who she is meant to be.

And there is so much joy in that.

If you’re in a season of waiting… wondering if your moment will come—I see you.

And while I can’t tell you when it will happen, I can tell you this:

Look closely.

There may already be pieces of that moment showing up in ways you didn’t expect.

And when your version of it comes… it will mean more than you could ever imagine.

If you’re in this season, I’d love to hear—what’s a “little” moment that felt really big for you?