Her new boss is pretty demanding. And he gives zero affirmation.

Even on days she knocks it out of the park, he shows no appreciation. He just starts whining about the next thing he needs from her.

She never imagined having a boss who is bald, who drools, and who wears diapers…

But then, he’s only six months old.

She loves him, of course. Desperately. But some days, when he completely wears her out with all of his whining and whimpering, she thinks back to her old boss.

He was always affirming. He noticed when she met deadlines. He praised her when she stayed within the budget. He gave her raises. And he never whined when he wanted her to do something; not even once.

Sometimes, leaving a job that pays in dollars and appreciation, and has bonuses and days off is… hard. Motherhood offers neither of those. At least not at first. There is no applause. No company parties. No raises. Just lots of laundry and dirty diapers.

If that’s where you are, I feel your pain. And let me give a quick warning: Now that my house is void of all diaper pails and sippy cups, I still don’t get much applause. And I still get a lot of demands–for rides, and cash, and snacks. But my perspective on the years of being ‘Mommy’ to the ‘littles’ has expanded a bit. I see your role differently than when I was the one changing diapers. Here’s why:

Just watch how you interact with that little ‘boss man’ during the day.

You don’t just change his diaper when he fills his pants. You kiss his belly and make him laugh. And he learns that love is serving.

You don’t just spoon the green gook into his mouth. You look into those beautiful blue eyes and talk to him. And he learns that love is personal.

You don’t just rock him when he has a fever. You sing a song softly, and snuggle him close. And he learns that love is comforting.

You don’t just reach out your hands when he takes his first step. You cheer and smile and swoop him up in your arms. And he learns that love is safe.

Your little boss man might someday grow up to be a boss. And a friend. And a husband. And a daddy. And most importantly, a son of God. And who’s getting him ready for all of that? You are! By showing him what love really is. How it feels. How it is shown.

He’s not even conscious yet, of all he’s learning about love. And maybe you aren’t either. But imagine this. What if we took a giant syringe extracted all of the love given by all mothers, world wide. What would our world be, if no person had ever learned love from a mother?

Picture the emotional dysfunction. Picture the broken relationships. Picture families and workplaces and neighborhoods and churches–all filled with people who had never experienced love; people who were walled off and selfish and needy and frail.

Picture your own baby without your love. What sort of boss would he become? Or husband? Or father? Or son?

So, the next time your new little bald, drooling, adorable boss calls to you with all demands and no appreciation, remember; you’re changing the world, one diaper at a time–with love.