To all the new moms:

This is a photo of me with my son when he was born. This is the first time I really held him and looked into the face I would come to know anywhere. This small boy made me a mother and I am eternally grateful and forever in love.

But I so remember what followed this photo, after this state of pure adoration staring at a baby who already stole my heart.

The first weeks seem like an endless cycle of feeding and changing and dozing only to wake to a crying baby. The sleeping in chairs or the fast showers. The pain your body feels as it heals and the fact that in many ways, it feels like it doesn't completely belong to you again, even though the baby isn't in your belly anymore; he or she is now in your arms. The guilt and worry, on repeat about so many things. The hormonal shifts. The crying for no reason and for a million reasons at once. It's all disorienting and quite honestly, it can be terrifying.

Mothering is one big oxymoron, every day, all day. Your children bring you the most joy but also the most frustration. So much joy. So much frustration. Most days, the joy triumphs....

To the new mothers tonight and to my cousin in particular, with a sweet new baby at home, this is one of the greatest adventures you're on. And like any adventure worth taking, there are rivers to cross and then mountains to climb. But wow. When you get to the top of the mountain, the view is breathtaking. Truly. It will take your breathe away. And it's a cycle. Up and down, rivers to cross and mountains to climb, over and over again.

So as you begin the night watch, know that I'm sending so much love and luck your way. I know you're an amazing mom already. You're a warrior and we are your tribe.

Kara knows that mothering is a way to find identity, and she writes on her own blog, Mothering the Divide, about the divide it is to mother children, spirit, and the sacred. Come, join her tribe on Facebook.