Each year when Mother's Day rolls around, I have mixed emotions. I know it's meant to be a special day to honor the fine art of motherhood and all it entails. Similar to the old military recruiting slogan—"It's the toughest job you'll ever love"—motherhood is all encompassing. There's no halfway in emotionally.

I know that, without a doubt, motherhood is an extreme honor. The power to raise small humans into full-fledged adults is special, and the outcome lasts a lifetime. That said, being a mom changes you in many ways, and some of these caught me off guard. While the circumstances of each family are different, there are some things I'll admit that I wasn't prepared for.

Perhaps I'm being a bit nostalgic, looking back upon my days as a mental health clinician and inner city caseworker, brimming with idealism and energy—something my husband and I shared as we embarked upon the journey of raising our kids. Deciding to grow a family required a value shift, requiring that I pour my energetic resources into the raising of our two children, both of whom joined our family through adoption.

Staying home to raise my kids was the best decision, without a doubt. I'm so proud of who they are becoming. Knowing the impact of early abandonment and neglect on childhood development, I knew my kids would require all I had to give. But being all-in comes at a price. Parenthood for me, meant leaving my career behind. The demands of special-needs parenthood took center stage. For many years, I was an overwhelmed mom, trying to keep it together, while educating myself on the potential life-long implications of reactive attachment disorder. Feeling tired and bedraggled most days, my friendships faded into the........

© Psychology Today