I've been thinking a lot about being a mother, and I apologize in advance for a subject that's already been run into the ground.

I can't decide whether it's empowering or demeaning, whether it's fulfilling or life-sucking, and whether it would save me or break me.

I've thought for a long time that motherhood was my calling, but all these voices started nudging their way into my brain. Offhand jokes about things that are "as useful as a mom's college degree." People telling me that having children doesn't count as an ambition. And realizing that having children is perhaps the lowest common denominator--nearly every human being seeks to pass on their genes. Can it still be a noble ambition if everyone does it? Should my most base desires really be the basis for my life goals?

But honestly, in my heart of hearts, that's really want I want. I don't seek fame or riches, and I can think of nothing more fulfilling than practicing selflessness for the sake of a vulnerable human being. And I want to find God in the everyday tasks, and I hope for it in the back of my mind every day.