We’ve all heard it and felt it…that sense that once we become a mom we lose part of ourselves in the midst of giving so much to our children. Comments like “My life is on the back burner” or “I put my own needs last”. These are statements that any Mom could make at one time or another, especially on those days when we don’t even have time to wash our face let alone think straight. But today I’m thinking more about how being a Mom adds to who we are, broadens our perspectives, and gives us so many gifts it’s hard to count ’em all. You might feel like you are getting lost in Motherhood, but ultimately being a Mom helps you find yourself along the way.
5 Ways being a Mom helps you find yourself
1. Masters of Multi-tasking
You thought you had your act together as a young professional, living a busy single life, responsible for your rent, your job, your cat, and your friendships. Maybe even juggling a boy friend too. And then along comes a new life with Baby Marta or Madden, and the amount of free time you had back then seems staggering in its volume compared to the zilch you have now. But we learn quickly that being a Mom means getting your act together, finding you actually have as many arms as an octopus, and working with numerous compartments of our brain at once.
2. Diplomatic Phrasing
One of my favorite Mom rules is “Never ask a question to which you don’t want to hear the answer!” So, would we ever want to say, “Are you feeling ready to go to bed, honey?” or “Do you want to stop playing that game and start your homework now?” Ummm, good luck with that. We learn how to parse our words to get the desired effect and not even lie in the process – or, hardly ever, lol! We understand our inner power, and our sanity requires that we use it. We know better than to let our little ones run the show. Many women not only feel an increase in productivity after becoming a Mom, but they learn they are far better at navigating tricky situations than they were before having kids.
3. Commitment with a Capital T
Is there anyone more TENACIOUS than a Mom? Watch any wildlife video with animal moms and their babies, any TV show about families, and you can see the commitment that mothers make to their offspring. When a Mom sees danger lurking anywhere remotely near their child, she will come out of herself with more energy than she ever knew she had. Mothers learn how to commit tenaciously, and in the process, there is rarely a shy bone remaining in a Mom after raising children and utilizing every resource imaginable to protect them.
4. Give and You Shall Receive
Every lesson you teach your child is one you have to clarify within yourself. You have to KNOW what your values are and what you think is important in life. A child broadens your vision and allows you to see a bigger picture outside of self, a commitment to “making the world a better place” for our children. And along the way of teaching the young ones right from wrong, you know you have made yourself become a better person in the process. (P.S. There is nothing wrong with giving yourself a little treat, too. Check out our new favorite No. 24 The Olive Carryall from Christensen Bags! It is so stylish and perfect for a new baby bag and beyond, as it will hold everything and is made beautifully of durable waxed canvas and brown leather. Seriously the perfect item to add to your baby shower registry!)
No 24 The Olive Carryall from Christensen Bags!
5. I wanna know what love is…
Remember that song lyric by Foreigner, asking to know what love is? Lennon and McCartney had an answer to that when they sang the lyrics that ended their spectacular album Abbey Road… “The love you take is equal to the love you make.” Yes, being a Mom does that for us. We know what love is. We give it, and we get it. And both are infinite. What could be better than that?
Some favorite “mama musts”:
And when it’s all said and done – through all the mind numbing daily tasks, incessant demands and challenges that stretch you beyond your limits – giving one’s all to Motherhood is a fantastic path to finding one’s authentic self.
Fashionably yours,
Deborah
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