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The Push and Pull of Motherhood: Loving Fiercely, While Slowly Letting Go
As a mum, I’m always caught between wanting time to slow down and wanting my kids to grow up curious and courageous. I’m their safe place, but I’m also helping them step into the world. This piece is a reflection on those feelings—the joy, the sadness, and everything in between.
Gwen
9/8/20253 min read
Now and then...
I’m swept away by the unexpected feeling to hold on tightly—with both hands and heart—to the moments in the now, to make them last... just... a little bit... longer..
It sneaks up in the quiet moments—folding tiny socks that aren’t so tiny anymore, sorting toys and books that were once loved, watching them say goodbye with a quick hug or fleeting wave instead of lingering in my arms like they used to.
Motherhood is full of these little contradictions.
It begins with the milestones—first giggle, first words, first steps, first days of school. Tiny celebrations that feel enormous at the time, leaving footprints only they could leave on your heart.
You see, they’re not just growing taller, but day by day, becoming someone completely themselves—and with each step forward, I quietly say goodbye. Not just to who they were, but to the version of me who belonged to that time.
It’s a bittersweet thing—this joy in watching them grow, alongside the heaviness of knowing the moments you cherish are gone before you're ready to let go.
Some days I’m blinking back tears, and think, how did we get here already?—weren’t they just curled in my arms yesterday? And then, in the same breath, I’m cheering them on, watching them step bravely into the world that’s theirs to explore.
I’ve never felt anything like this before motherhood—this push and pull. The deep desire to hold them close, and the awe that comes with watching them become more of who they are. Part of me wants to keep them little forever, and part of me can’t wait to watch them soar.
I found that it’s a delicate balance—giving them roots while helping them grow wings.
Being their soft place to land, their safe haven when the world feels too big, while also being the one who gently nudges them forward—encouraging them to run bravely into new adventures, to chase dreams I can’t yet see, to become everything they want to be.
Because that’s what they’re here to do. And I would never want to hold them back.
It’s strange and beautiful, how joy and loss, can be felt at the same time.
Motherhood is a dance of holding close and loving fiercely, while slowly letting go.
I don’t have answers—only the quiet knowing that it’s okay to feel it all. I’ve learned that to love deeply often means grieving a little too. With every hand you release, every season you leave behind, you make room for something new and beautiful to emerge.
Maybe motherhood is just that: a thousand quiet goodbyes—and just as many hellos, each wrapped in love, each a gift, as they turn the page to the next chapter of their story. And in the spaces between, ours turns too—a tale written between mother and child, held close, and is theirs alone.
About the Author
Gwen is a mum of two, a journaller, and a daydreamer who created Loving Beautiful to bring a little more beauty into the world.
It’s a space for women’s stories — the ones that don’t come with neat endings. Stories of becoming, discovering, and quietly finding ourselves. Loving Beautiful celebrates it all.
Gwen doesn’t have it all figured out, but she’s learning to find beauty in the middle of it… with friends, laughter, sometimes tears and whatever’s left in the teacup.
