Editor’s note: The author, lawyer Brooke McIntosh Crump, is a mom in Mt. Gilead and writes bi-weekly for the Speckled Paw Times.

Today is my son’s fifth birthday. I have spent a portion (albeit small) of every day since the week after I brought him home from the hospital feeling a little sadness over the fact that he’s older. The days fly by and although I revel in his advancement and truly enjoy his personality, I’m sad to say that every day is one day further away from him being my baby. Both my husband and I loved having a newborn and would be totally fine with having a fresh baby permanently in our arms. I know a lot of moms feel differently but as you’ve read in the past, I have a lot of unpopular opinions on motherhood. And today, on my son’s birthday, it’s time for me to publicly confess: I don’t think being a mom is hard.

As I scroll through my timeline, I partake in mom blogs. I relate to the words of some of these women, but for the most part, I don’t. So many center around the idea of “the days are long but the years are short.” A lot of mom blogs talk about tantrums and endless snack requests. They mention the loneliness and monotony of motherhood. And I just don’t get it.

I know that my experience doesn’t reflect everyone’s because I only had one young child at a time. I also wasn’t there for the first six or so years of my stepchildren’s lives. But for me, motherhood is the easiest and greatest thing I have ever done.

I know I talk about mom guilt and I will say that, without a doubt, I struggle with decision-making as a mom. I have lost sleep over the decision of when to send my son to kindergarten. My experience with motherhood has certainly not been worry-free. I’ve worried about my stepson not making it home before curfew and a piece of my heart leaves me every time my stepdaughter sets out for her mom’s. I will always live with a certain level of fear after another child took a loaded gun into my son’s pre-K classroom. I struggle with trying to balance a career and motherhood and I truly feel as if childbirth is the single greatest torture a human being can experience – aside from nine excruciating months of pregnancy.

But all of those things – guilt, fear and work/life balance – are on me. I was never someone who sailed through life and I have always struggled to keep up with housework. I’ve always experienced anxiety with decision-making. But when it comes to the day in and day out of raising kids, I could do it over and over again.

My kids bring me a joy I didn’t know existed. Sure, I always knew I wanted to be a mom, but growing up, that was just a side note. I wanted a big career. I wanted to see the world. I figured I would eventually have a little rascal or two at some point, but my nose was usually in a book rather than playing with a baby doll. I was shocked after becoming a mother at how amazing it is. When other moms mention loneliness, I’m baffled. If you go to an awkward event, you have a little person to entertain yourself with. A lot of articles written by moms mention being stressed from the whining; to that I say, pop their tails and put them in timeout. It should end soon thereafter. 

Now I know a lot of people would say to me: Easy for you to say, you don’t have multiple little people running around. They might also say: Hey, you don’t have your kid 100 percent of the time. One might also complain that I was adamantly against breastfeeding; that was a torture I wasn’t willing to endure. I understand that my experience isn’t shared by all mothers. I have an awesome support system and our families have often fought over who gets overnights with our kids. I also have several moms on speed dial to call up at a moment’s notice for a backyard hang. I have put a lot of effort into building and maintaining a tribe and for anyone who is lonely during this season, I will say that if you show up for other moms, they will show up for you.

I’m certainly not winning any mom of the year awards. In fact, you might overhear me tell my kid to go get his own snack. But becoming a mom has changed me to my core. I see the glass half full when I don’t think that I did before. I watch in awe as my kids play together and I can’t believe they are so loving and kind to one another (we will ignore the fact that my teenagers get a little aggressive with each other from time to time). I will continue to be sad as the days pass by because one day they will all be grown with houses of their own.

My baby is 5 today. Four whole years have passed in the blink of an eye. Soak it up, mamas. These days are short, after all.