We've all seen her...the mom who seems to have all the mojo. The one who drifts by us balancing and juggling and multitasking like it's an art form. The one who's fully engaged with her children and understands how to make each one feel loved and special. The one who often causes us to doubt if we're really doing the most effective job in this massive role of motherhood. I remember those days vividly. Two children seemed like a walk in the park, and then the news of a third surprise bundle came along. The thought of balancing and multi-tasking seemed a bit overwhelming as I considered trying to spread myself between three littles who all needed more of me than there was to go around. If you've found yourself in the same balancing act, you're not alone. It's easy to find Continue Reading
Practice the Art of Reimaging
Motherhood is both a lesson in practice and art. It rarely comes easy, yet if we continue to show up, it births countless joys along with endless challenges, all woven together to create a beautiful, imperfect legacy. But sometimes the hurdles take center stage, and we have trouble seeing beyond our own inadequacies. The smallest challenge can send our self-image spiraling into the abyss of defeat and discouragement. Often, we begin the day with our best foot forward only to find ourselves tripping and stumbling through constantly changing terrain. And being thankful or cherishing?…well sometimes it’s enough to just pick ourselves up and muster the energy needed to make it through another day. If this describes your day or week, the good news is it will pass, and tomorrow always Continue Reading
You’re Not Just a Mom
How many times have you said to yourself or to someone else, "I'm just a mom?" How many times have you un-intentionally devalued your role in light of someone else's seemingly more important job? How many times have you disqualified yourself as a good mom when faced with another's apparent success? And how many times have you found yourself longing for something a bit more exciting and rewarding? It’s OK to be honest. Because the truth is always the best starting point. It's Ok to admit that "The World's Greatest Mom" banner might look better hanging above someone else's door. And it's Ok to confess that we really don't have it all figured out. But when these become labels which define us and hinder us from cherishing the gift of motherhood, it's time to do a little Continue Reading
We Are Made to Brave Imperfect Motherhood
Before experiencing motherhood for myself, I had this expectation that I was going to be a better mother than my mother ever was. That is if I was ever going to be a mother at all. To be clear, I had a healthy childhood and my mother did a masterful job at caring for all of her children but as far as I could see motherhood was a tiring, messy task, with little to no reward. These thoughts were so deeply ingrained, were it up to me, I would have lived my life to ensure that children were not on my radar. Then I met my husband and began to see the possibilities of love. We were married when I was 22, and I had my first child at 23 which was manageable at first. Then our family of three became a family of four...then five. Somehow I went from not wanting kids at all to parenting Continue Reading