See What These LGBQ Moms Love Most About Being Parents

Being a mother is the toughest job in the world; arguably even more difficult if you're a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer mom. Aside from packing lunches and imparting morals, LGBQ moms have to field questions that straight mothers don't encounter — "Why do I have two mommies?" — and sometimes plan very strategically to make their parenting dreams come true. But as any child of an LGBQ mom can attest, that means they are often loved that much more.

In honor of Mother's Day, we wanted to give LGBQ moms a chance to talk, since they often have to do so much listening. Specifically, we wanted to know what they love best about being parents. (Stay tuned for a special article spotlighting trans moms.) Here are their stories:

“Gavin is three and a half now. The best ... doesn't exist at this age. Some days are awful, but many are loving and fun. Did we mention he's 3? He has new things to share every single day, and it really doesn't get old — but his defiance and inability to listen does rather quickly. His personality has really emerged in the last year, and it's awesome. He's clever, and that is just hilarious sometimes. Recently he's taken to using new words like 'interesting,' 'distracting,' and the best: 'magnificent.' He likes to ask, 'If I turn the music all the way up, will it be distracting to your reading?' or 'I see something interesting!' The latest in regard to the museum in our town: 'My museum is just so magnificent.' Heit; it's amazing and it's wonderful.

"And it's terrifying. We get scared about whether we are doing the best for him, and we wonder if he has enough freedom to just be himself, all while we're trying to protect him from all things ugly in the world. Sometimes we find ourselves crying over how beautiful his mind and heart are in this giant world. Then we remember he's the best source of perspective. He's always on hand with some piece of preschool wisdom that we, as adults, have forgotten how to access. He shows us every day the beauty in the world. So the best part is simply Gavin.” — Catherine Bertrand

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