Are you a mother? Do you hustle through your day trying to be all things to all people and have nothing left for yourself? First, I am a woman, I love music, free thought, I am a small business owner and a healer. I am also, a mother to four beautiful children and pregnant with my fifth. I married my best friend, blended this beautiful family and I run a household. I have the incredible honor of living the life I created for myself and that I did not allow to be dictated by other people. See, I think this is where we go wrong as women. Just because your neighbor or a mom down the street has a top-shelf stroller does not make her an impeccable mother, nor does the newest Coach bag. I have really come to think that “LABEL” moms destroy a culture that we strive to create as women, where we celebrate each other’s strengths and support one another’s needs- not how much time and money you have spent in the PTA or at playgroups or that your two-year-old is in dance and yoga.
Recently, our family was stricken with the flu. It just so happened that it was on a weekend when a dear friend of mine was throwing a shower for our family and three of my closest friends were in town. So picture this, your sick laid out with a 101.9 fever & 34 weeks preggo, your husband is down with a fever and you have four hungry children at lunchtime. However, plot twist, there are people there to help. One of my friends tended to me, one made lunch for the kids and the other sent my husband off to have a nap! The four of us woman sat and talked about that later. How this is the culture that is missing in a “motherhood.” I later googled motherhood and shopping websites came up, SAD.
I digress. My point here is have we so lost our way that we have been reduced to this commercialism parenting? TAKE IT BACK! Let’s focus on the needs of our family, THE FAMILY. Let’s remember what moved us to have a family in the first place. The mother from within. Stop doing extra, say no to playgroups and reconnect with your children. Jump in a puddle with them. Ditch the expensive stroller and for God’s sake let them walk and explore, or wear them. Do nothing extra. Take back your time at home. Children really need the most minimal of entertainment. They just need you!
So this mom hustle that I speak of, MUSCLE. Do you have the clarity to take that on your own and take your time back? Create a life that YOU want your family to have. Not what the Joneses have… let that be their life. Let yours be that of one that is sometimes dirty, creative, messy, full of love and laughter, connected with your partner, your children or celebrate your badassery of being a single mom. (I’ve been there too.) Celebrate your muscle. Sending you love and respect.