Before having children I dreamt of a version of success which I longed to achieve. Back then success to me meant getting a scholarship in a school in New York, getting a phd in journalism, or getting a job as an editor for a top magazine, making tons of money and writing a book about it. But all that has changed after becoming a mom.

These days success to me is my three year old daughter greeting me “good morning” when I open my eyes. It’s my five year old son telling me “mama I’ll help you” then running off to clean the table and put the plates in the sink.

Success is my daughter all of a sudden kissing her brother and telling him “I love you kuya” [I love you big brother] before hugging her brother’s head just ’cause she felt like it.

It’s my kids recovering from a nasty flu strain and getting back to being rowdy and noisy. It’s having the chance to kiss them goodnight and snuggle beside them as I smell their hair before I go to bed.

Success is watching my little kids sleep at night. It’s my daughter telling me “Mahal Kita Mama [I love you mama], you make me happy” the next day. It’s watching them play and hearing them giggle. It’s listening to my daughter sing her favorite made up song with made up lyrics.

It’s eating chocolate with my little children while in bed while their neat freak father is at work. It’s getting smothered with kisses and my little kids squeezing the air out of my lungs with the tightest hug a mommy could ever have.

It’s my son worrying about me getting old.

It’s my daughter promising to love me forever and ever.

My definition of success has changed a lot after becoming a mom.

Success to me now is being a mom.

Seeing my children happy and healthy. Waking up with the most precious little people, seeing them smile and hearing them laugh.

It’s looking into my children’s eyes and understanding what happiness, contentment, and unconditional love really feels like.

Success to me now is knowing how it feels to be the most important person in the eyes of the most important little people in my life.