IN celebration of Mother’s Day, Caxton Local Media spoke to first-time young mom Londiwe Hlatshwayo about her motherhood journey so far. Hlatshwayo is a mom to a seven-month-old baby boy whom she describes as a joy and a learning experience.
She reflects on the growth and pleasure she’s experienced in motherhood.
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From a young age, Hlatshwayo said she has always known that she would go through this journey. Though she has had a glimpse of it through taking care of her nieces and nephews, she says experiencing it firsthand has provided many joys and more.
“Motherhood is everything I expected it to be and more. I’ve known for as long as I became coherent of the world around me that I would be a mother, however, I didn’t know it would happen this early and in the way it happened,” she said.
What the 26-year-old mother said she enjoys about motherhood is the unconditional love the journey embodies.
“The love between my son and me has been unconditional. It has changed the way I see and experience any other love.
“Motherhood is selfless. It’s always about considering your little human being in everything you do, be it the friendships you create, environments you choose to be in and the kind of occupation you choose.
“Motherhood is showing up even when it’s hard. It’s making hard decisions as well as working hard now so they [your kids] can reap the rewards and not have to experience certain hardships. Motherhood is being the bad guy to everyone, if need be, for the sake of them,” she explained.
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So far, Hlatshwayo said the journey has been everything she expected.
“I expected it to be filled with love, and I have received abundantly from my little nugget. I anticipated sleepless nights due to my experience with my niece who used to cry her lungs out. I got sleepless nights as expected, however, it was because of feeding and not because of somebody screaming their lungs out,” she said.
Given the beautiful journey, the boy mom said she wishes she was more financially stable and preferably married and a homeowner.
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“I wish I had healed some of my childhood traumas so I can be a better mother and not transfer some of my lived experiences, which I wouldn’t want him ever to experience,” she said.
Hlatshwayo said she is grateful for a day like Mother’s Day as this has given her a chance to reflect, not only on the journey but on how she has grown as a person in just seven months. She will be spending the day with her family.
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