To Aimee, Jack and Kelly
I still remember the first thing I thought when I became a mom. It was, “Oh, God, what do I do with this baby?”
I had no experience. I never thought I would become a mom. None of my friends had children. So in the first couple weeks after you were born, Aimee, I was in shock, just panicked, thinking, “How do I take care of you? What am I meant to do?” Ozzie had two children with his first wife, so he was more equipped than I was. He was always very good after I breastfed, he would settle you down. But I was still overwhelmed.
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Then, over a few months, I became a lioness. I’m now terribly overprotective. I will always stand by you and be there for you. You’ll never fall because I’m there to catch you. But I’ve also learned, especially over the past five years, that I can’t fix everything. I cannot protect you from the world. And now I know I don’t have to.
Jack and Kelly, you have overcome drugs and drinking, and Aimee, you’re pursuing your dreams. I’m so proud that you’ve all become such good, levelheaded people who care what goes on in the world. Success doesn’t mean shit to me. This entertainment industry doesn’t mean anything to me. If you do well and you’re strong—that’s what makes me feel happy, that’s what makes me feel great.
Being your mom has made me a well-rounded person. It’s made me not as selfish, and not as motivated when it comes to the competitiveness I had in the industry. It gave me a different outlook on life that it’s not about winning or being number one. Raising a child is the most important thing you can ever do.
It’s the hardest thing in the world, to be a hands-on mother and sustain a career. You cannot do it without having endless guilt.
When I think of you all, my heart just melts. People come into my home and they say it’s like a time capsule. Everything is covered in pictures and notes and paintings that I have framed. Every gift you ever gave me I still have, and they are most treasured. Necklaces and paintings and hearts for Mother’s Day and all those drawings, I have them framed everywhere. They are my family jewels.
Osbourne is a host of CBS’ The Talk