Often, when we become mothers, we lose our identities. We put our dreams aside to concentrate on our new mission in life – to be the best mother we can be. And while I truly believe that we should fulfill our calling as mothers, I also believe {strongly} that it is equally important to trust ourselves and follow other callings that life brings our way, too. For too long, mothers have been pigeon-holed. We can, indeed, be more than mothers and individuals who work their mediocre jobs and give mediocre efforts.
Moms, if you have a goal – chase it.
Be relentless.
Be heard.
Be seen.
Sprint towards your goal. You must listen to the whispers within you. If these whispers turn into screams, then my goodness, don’t ignore them. Because when your children see their mother working hard every single day toward their dream, you’re teaching them so much more. To your children, you’re showing them that you’re more than good ‘ole mom. You’re more than the keeper of the snacks, the finder of all the things, and the booger wiper. Yes, what they’ll see is a woman of grit and determination.
Your children will you grow and glow as you soar towards your goal {or goals}.
In return, they’ll know how to do the same. They’ll understand the importance of making themselves a priority in their own life – even after having a family of their own someday. For me, I decided to stay home with my children once my second daughter was born and my mother was diagnosed with advanced cancer. I left my teaching career behind and being a caretaker become my new world. While yes, I would make that same decision all over again, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I lost myself in the shuffle. My dreams became buried in the piles of laundry and dirty dishes in the sink.
But somehow, I decided to make myself a priority again. And you know what? I became a better mother because of it.
But that’s not to say that it wasn’t scary. It was. As a stay-at-home-mother, I felt guilty leaving my children to pursue any dreams. So, I started small. I trained and ran a half marathon. This gave me the exact amount of courage I needed to do more. Next, I enrolled in earning another graduate degree. It fueled me even more. So, I started freelance writing – even starting a book of my own. Today, my kids see me writing daily. They see me sitting at the computer grinding out articles. More importantly, though, they hear about my struggles as a writer, too. I show them my rejection emails from editors. And then you know what they see? Me, not giving up.
Moms… juggling a career, dreams, and children feels overwhelming at times. There’s no doubt about that. But if you make yourself a priority, you’re doing wonders for your children, too. Maybe if you look at it that way, you won’t feel as guilty about the whole thing.
But it’s true, your children watch you. They see you putting time into yourself and your dreams. They watch you so intently, that someday they’ll know exactly how to emulate you. So intently, in fact, that the day will come when they conquer their own dreams, too. And you know who they’ll thank? YOU. Because they’ll remember watching you work hard for yourself – and in the end – for them.
