May 8, 2016
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, women on a quest to become moms, and really to all women trying to nurture a someone or something they care deeply about.
Here’s the thing… we may hold an idealized picture of what it looks like to grow what you love and post on facebook the moments that represent that idealized picture. But the day to day, moment to moment reality often looks a lot like this photo of my little guy Jake (devastated because I wouldn’t give him any more bunny crackers.)
As someone who has spent much of life relishing the moments that feel easy and look pretty, motherhood has taught me more than anything else, to be present with, be honest about and even try to appreciate the messy, chaotic, exasperating and sometimes frightening.
I so appreciate other mothers who are willing to acknowledge that things are not always the pretty picture we might pretend that they are. This Ted Talk by Katherine Wintsch, about taking off the mask of motherhood, struck a chord and I wanted to share it as a mothers day offering…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGIuSNks3DA
My truth as a mom is that motherhood is nothing I imagined it would be and so much more. The messy moments are many, but there are also moments of indescribable, incredible richness, made all the more worthwhile because of the challenge, discomfort and uncertainty that preceded it.
I know along with the ugly, I will have some sweet moments on Mother’s Day and I promise to post some of those as well. For now, I wonder if anyone else has some “unmasked” photos or stories you want to share…
Comment below, and consider sharing this message on your feed as well. I welcome your and other women’s full and complete expression of what motherhood looks like to you.
***FOLLOW-UP ON THIS POST
I was truly honored when Katherine Wintsch featured some of my words in her blog, In All Honesty. You can read that post here
