I saw it in her eyes. The loss. The resignation.
?What am I going to do now? I have lost my drive.?
My mama and I have been talking more now. I love our talks, when she comes over our house (often) or when I come over to hers (rarely), because we never talked this much before. I was always too busy and our family wasn?t exactly the ?talking ? hugging ? tell ? me ? about ? your ? day? kind.
And this particular talk of ours has struck a chord in me because I understood exactly what she meant.
It was one of those afternoons when the children were at school, the sala lights were turned off and the house was quiet. There was time to talk about things way beyond ?how are the girls doing in school?? or ?what new song did they learn this week??
Now that I?ve got my own family and my brothers are all grown up, my mother says she wants to do something but she no longer knows what it is. She gave up her career to take care of us. So when we get asked to fill a form with Mother?s Occupation in it, we always wrote ?Plain Housewife?.
Not that plain meant she was lounging and doing nothing at home. If I had known the word ?multi-tasking? back then, I would have written ?Multi-tasking Mom? on that blank. Maybe I?ll even add ?Super? in that title.
Because having Mama at home meant we woke up in time before the school bus arrived every morning. We had hotdogs packed in our lunch box and cold water in our Coleman. Our clothes were scrubbed white and pressed crisp. The dishes were washed, the house was clean. Hot dinner was served every night.
Mama always finished my Home Economics projects. She always made sure I had a pretty pink ribbon or barrette for my hair before I go to school.
It would take me a lifetime to list a comprehensive job description for my mom.
But one thing?s for sure, everything she did has always been for us. It has been far too long since she did anything for herself.
I felt the same way
I was looking at reflections of myself and thought I was losing the person I used to be. Photo by Mike Bitzenhofer
Five years into motherhood, I?ve felt the beginnings of that loss. A hint of resignation. And I don?t even do laundry and wash the dishes.
It must have been one of those exhausted and sleepless nights, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, wondering ?So, what?s next??
I?m a mom and that?s a given.
But what becomes of the ?me? before the ?mom??
Do I have to give up my dreams because I now have to take care of my children and make a home for our family? The answer is yes or so they say.
I struggled with the thought of having to change who I am to fit my new role.
I struggled with the thought of not being able to accomplish anything other than raising my children.
There were several nights when I?d slump down exhausted on the bed and wonder where the day had gone. And how I wished, oh how I wished, I had more time for me and for all the other things I wanted to do that didn?t include squishing dried up Play ? doh or pretending to drink English tea.
And while I loved my Mama and I appreciated everything she had given up for us, I didn?t want to be the ?Plain Housewife?.
I am a mom and I am me
A few moments of silence was all I needed to find clarity. Photo by Hartwig HKD
Five years into motherhood, I?ve felt the beginnings of a new phase in my life as a mother.
It must have been one of those mornings when my eyes suddenly opened a few minutes before 3am. I listened to Deirdre Hade?s ?Morning Five Minutes meditation?, an effort to start my day right.
?What is your intention today?? she asks.
I wanted clarity.
As the music faded away, I felt a sense of calm come over me. And just as I had asked, I heard my voice ever so clearly:
?Becoming a mom doesn?t change you, it makes you more of who you already are.?
I finally gave myself permission to embrace who I have become and who I am becoming.
Yes, I have more curves and less hair. I can no longer last a day in high heels. I?ve memorized more Disney Junior tunes than I care to remember. But inside, it?s still me, it?s still the same woman with the same dreams.
Only this time, it?s more than just a dream. It?s a mission to be the best version of myself so I can set an example for my girls.
My new dreams are now unfolding.
I can see it now, gathering a community of mothers committed to live intentionally.
We?ll give each other hope when it?s 2 am and we?re still up working. Or when we wake up one day and the skinny jeans suddenly don?t fit.
We?ll rejoice in each other?s victories, when the little girl makes it through her first day of school. Or when we find the perfect dress that loves our mommy curves beautifully.
We?ll go through this motherhood journey. Together.
How to be a mom and still be you
One day, I visited my Mama and I saw it in her eyes: a newfound sense of purpose. She?s going to aerobics now she says, and did I know just a few minutes of exercise ?can make you drip like a faucet??
Now that she no longer needed to take care of us, she can put herself first. She is re-learning how to take care of herself.
I can see she?s happy.
I guess all mothers go through that phase in their lives when they feel like mom is equal to martyrdom. That everybody else has to go first. That you have to give up everything for your children.
I used to lament that, with all that motherhood is demanding of my time and my energy, I can no longer achieve anything other than being just a mom.
Until I realized, if I can survive having children, I can survive anything. And my children are my inspiration to reach my goals.
Oh it?s not gonna be easy, I can tell you that.
But it can be done.
Yes, being a mother is your greatest purpose in life but it doesn?t have to be the only one.
If you feel called to do something more, then go ahead and find it. And when you do, do what you can every day, in between breastfeeding and cooking dinner, to go forward in the direction of your dreams.
When you feel tired and you feel like you?re never gonna make it, stop, relax and rest. Then get back up and keep going.
Take time to do things that make you happy. And yes it can be experiences other than playing with your kids. Give yourself permission to enjoy what you used to do, or find something new.
I?ll be right here on the sidelines cheering for you.
Because you deserve to be happy and you?ve got what it takes to make your dream come true.
You?re not just a mom.
YOU ARE A MOM.
And if there?s anyone who can do this and make things happen, it?s YOU.
Your cheerleader and avid fan,
Source: http://optimommy.com/how-to-be-a-mom-without-losing-yourself/
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