Redefining Courage: How Motherhood Became My Greatest Teacher

I never thought I was particularly brave. I have always been a shy person. Well, until motherhood forced me to redefine what courage truly means. It wasn’t loud or glamorous. It didn’t wear a cape or get standing ovations. My kind of courage looked like midnight shifts, sore feet, and lullabies whispered during the sunrise.

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When my daughter was just 3 months old, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life: to start work as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) on the night shift. I still remember the way her tiny fingers curled around mine. I remember talking to God about me not being there for her at night. Everything in me wanted to stay home and soak in every moment of her babyhood. But the bills weren’t going to pay themselves, and I knew I had to make a choice—not just for her, but for our family’s future.

Working Nights With a Newborn

Working as a CNA is hard—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s one of the most underappreciated yet essential jobs in healthcare. But doing it at night, with a newborn at home? That’s next-level sacrifice.

The first few weeks were brutal. I’d leave for work in the evening, exhausted before I even clocked in. My heart broke a little every time I kissed her forehead goodbye. My husband and I coordinated schedules like a well-oiled machine, passing the baby back and forth like a precious baton in a relay race. When I returned home in the morning, I didn’t go straight to bed. No. I was Mom first—feeding, bathing, cuddling. Naps came second, and often they didn’t come at all.

Why I Chose to Stay for 8 Years

Many people asked why I stayed in that job for eight long years. The answer is simple: I didn’t want my children in daycare. It’s not that I don’t respect working moms who choose that route—daycare is a lifeline for many families. But for me, it was deeply personal.

I wanted to be there for the first steps, the first words, the afternoon giggles and scraped knees. I didn’t want someone else telling me how my baby was doing. I wanted to live those moments, not hear about them secondhand.

So I stayed on the night shift. For eight years, I lived in this upside-down rhythm of working all night and being a full-time mom during the day. I sacrificed sleep, social life, and often my own health—but I never once regretted it. I became anemic, and it took me a long time to recover, but it was all worth it.

The Quiet Courage of Mothers

We live in a world that praises hustle culture and external success. But the truth is, motherhood teaches a different kind of strength—a quiet, unwavering courage that rarely makes headlines but changes lives every single day.

I didn’t feel brave when I was washing dishes at 2 a.m. or folding laundry with aching feet. I didn’t feel heroic when I cried in the bathroom after a long shift, wondering if I was doing enough. But looking back, I see now that those moments were the definition of bravery.

Every diaper changed on no sleep, every shift worked while missing my baby, every decision to keep going even when I wanted to quit—that was courage.

What Motherhood Taught Me

Motherhood became my greatest teacher. It taught me that love isn’t just about feelings—it’s about sacrifice, discipline, and endurance. It showed me I had reservoirs of strength I never knew existed.

It taught me that I could be both tired and grateful, scared and strong, all at once. That showing up, day after day, matters more than getting it all right.

Most of all, motherhood taught me that courage isn’t always loud. Sometimes it whispers, “Keep going,” when everything in you wants to stop.

If you’re a mother reading this right now—especially one who’s burning the candle at both ends—know this: You are courageous. Even when you don’t feel like it. Especially when you don’t feel like it.Whether you’re clocking in at midnight, wiping sticky fingers off the fridge, or managing a household on fumes—your strength is real, and it matters.

I am Collaborating with Chevanne for this amazing blog series, #SheChoseCourage . Please check out her post: Redefining Courage: How Motherhood Revealed the Courage within Me

Motherhood may not come with medals or applause, but it shapes us into warriors. Not the kind that fights with fists—but with faith, love, and resilience.

And that, to me, is the truest definition of courage.