This past September, while at a dear friends wedding, the bride told me that her father had always given her the same advice, “Enjoy who you are.” That moment stuck with me so intently that I have it written on a piece of paper and taped to my bathroom mirror. It’s an everyday reminder. I am who I am. I’m unique, and I better start enjoying who I am because for better or worse, I’m not going anywhere.
Mamaloders, your stories in October for the theme START SOMETHING reminded me of that quote. All month, you took hard looks at yourselves, and aimed to be better, to move on, to see things differently, and to start doing something you’ve always wanted to. And just as that father was proud of his daughter for starting a new life with her husband, I’m proud of you. You told us your stories, and opened your hearts, and started something new.
For instance, this month…
You started exercising and taking time for yourself. Maybe you started sexting your partner.
You started seeing your preteen become a teenager, or felt what it was like to start your career over again. You started saying “I’m sorry,” and seeing yourself as someones mother. A little girl with diabetes made you start seeing your life differently. You watched your child start driving for the first time. You worried about your daughter beginning to take birth control, and worried about your sons need to stop playing Minecraft.
You started wondering what it would be like to work again, and to stop letting your kids win all the time. To start acting like the grown-up, to stop standing on the sidelines and start playing alongside your kids. You stopped judging yourself for being a single mom. You started sharing your ugly story that was so hard to tell.
And finally, you started to enjoy a bed full of kids, and a life that’s come full circle. You began to appreciate what you have and started believing that you could be a good mom. You stopped counting the hours until your husband gets home everyday and started speaking up. Now if only we could opt out of those tough toddler years.
You stopped telling you kids to ‘hurry up’ and started loving your body. You started over after a divorce and let go of your children’s innocence, and their security blankets. One mom started sleeping again because she knew her son was finally safe.
After all these years, you started to see that it isn’t just another cup of tea. You started seeing yourself as a goddess and stopped suffering in silence. You saw what kind of mom you wanted to be and saw the beauty in others. You started family traditions that keep you connected, and spent time honoring those you love.
You enjoyed holidays you once missed and beamed with pride when you saw how your child was starting to fight his own battles. You saw how the groundwork you laid is starting to pay off, and how guilt creeps in. You started to see parenthood through different eyes.
Whether you started to remember who you are, or started being the person you’ve always wanted to be, try to remember, always enjoy who you are.
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About the Author
October 2014's theme start something is brought to you by
Headwaters | Blackstone
To learn about sponsoring a Mamalode theme contact: info@mamalode.com