Shrouded in darkness, I go about my business. I speak in hushed tones and whispers as I perform the sacred rituals. I belong to the most powerful secret society in the universe:

Motherhood.

As I snuggle this tiny person against my chest and sway back and forth in our special chair, I think about this vast sisterhood that I belong to. All across this darkened portion of the planet, thousands and thousands of mothers are doing exactly what I’m doing: wiping tears, calming fears, tending to the sick and the helpless. There are no cameras, no award ceremonies, no worldly glory for our labors. We are never thanked and rarely acknowledged. We work a 24-hour shift every day.

In the glaring light of day, I look frazzled. I’m overworked and overweight. There are lunches to be packed, laundry to be washed, groceries to be bought. It’s a whirlwind of activity, noise, and chaos.

The world may forget us. They may even snicker at us. They will laugh at the black circles under our eyes–the circles we earned through love. They will wonder how we can stand to be “just a mom.” We may even allow them make us feel inconsequential.

But in those sacred hours of the night, while “important” people are sleeping, my little baby and I share powerful moments full of love, peace, and serenity—things that society doesn’t give him but that perhaps one day he’ll give to society. As I rock him, I tell him who he is, I tell him who he can become, I tell him who loves him.

These are the moments that will change the world.