Flowers I bought myself because I deserve them.
I'm overwhelmed by and grateful for the messages of support and encouragement I received after my last post. So many of you shared similar experiences and it absolutely breaks my heart that so many of us struggle in silence because we think this is just the way motherhood is supposed to be.
And it's not one particular demographic. Younger moms, older moms, stay-at-home moms, work-outside-the-home moms, single moms, married moms, wealthy moms, middle class moms, paycheck-to-paycheck moms. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. So many of us are in constant fear that we are somehow failing at motherhood and nothing could be further from the truth.
We basically are thrown into one of the most important roles in the history of the world with little or no training. There are thousands of "experts" who have written books or run websites about motherhood, but the truth is that no one is an expert at each mother/child relationship. We all have very different personalities, as do our children. Each family situation is unique, which means all the well meaning advice in the world might not necessarily apply. We do the best we can with the circumstances and resources we are presented with. Why is it so hard to give ourselves credit for what we accomplish as parents?
As I navigate my experience, I am so thankful to have a community of supportive women around me. Some of them I've known my entire life, others I've only just met this month. Some I see practically every day and others I've only communicated with online. However they came into my life, each one of them offers me a perspective on motherhood/womanhood that I incorporate into my life to be the best I can. Some days I'm an attentive and energized mother and other days I struggle to get out of bed. Even on my worst day, I'm still trying and I know you all are too.
Thank you to all the wonderful women (and men) who are sharing this journey with me. Your presence means the world.
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