Maternal inspiring testimonial; The sanctuary of my womb

"A shared vision of the motherhood journey, infused with a powerful spiritual message. Written by a fellow pediatrician, Dr. Lillian Rivera, it offers a unique perspective on the profound experience of being a mother."

Over the years, one becomes more thoughtful and intentional with their words and actions. Life becomes a privilege and a delight that you want to savor slowly, sip by sip, so as not to lose it among the everyday and trivial.

In these days full of activities and tasks, as I prepare for the anticipated transition to an empty nest, scenes from my children's childhood passed before my eyes, like old movies projected with nostalgia: laughter, amazement, moments that transformed me as a woman, as a wife and as a human being.

My children taught me to love unconditionally, to forgive and try again, to believe beyond what is seen, to strive to be a better person and to exercise self-control. I learned tenderness, spontaneity, and to value that, although they are my children, each one is unique. I learned to love with sacrifice, to deny myself for the love of others. I learned to love even before I had seen them.

Through them I knew the love of God. If I, being imperfect, was able to love like this... how much more does He love me? I learned to pray without ceasing and in faith. I found the courage to face giants and defeat them, so that they would not be passed on to the next generation. I learned to shrink so that they would grow. And I understood that it's not about me.

One day I woke up thinking, "What am I going to do with three empty rooms in this house?" And then I said to myself, laughing, "Don't be so dramatic, you'll make something up."

Between weddings, graduations, engagements, moves of my children and the children of my family and friends, a few days passed when I found myself thinking: *How beautiful it is to be a mother*.

For obvious reasons, I avoided meditating too much on the subject. For years I would get melancholy. But in these days, a phrase came to me, provoking great amazement: "My womb is a sacred sanctuary where You formed my children with Your hands."

And I was silent, amazed. What a divine privilege to have been part of bringing life, of forming human beings who today walk the world. And how spectacular it is to recognize that my features and those of my beloved husband are burnished on their faces, and in their hearts, my words, my prayers and those of my generations before me, who believed for them before they even existed.

To all those who, like me, celebrate the privilege of being mothers, may they understand how special you are to God. And to every child: may you never stop treasuring what that woman did for you.

To my children and my beloved husband: Thank you for your patience, for loving me, for making me laugh and for giving me such genuine happiness. You have been my school, my joy and my greatest gift.

To those who read me: I invite you to stop and contemplate the miracle of life, to value the beauty of being co-participants in the sacred process of bringing life into the world. If you are a mother, remember that you have been chosen for the *Celestial BootCamp* of unconditional love, total surrender and the deepest personal transformation.

And to all of us who are – or have been – children: Bless, in spite of everything, the one who gave you the opportunity to exist. Life itself is reason enough to be thankful.