Why “Losing Yourself” to Motherhood is Overrated

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Do you ever get tired of being “just a mom”? Sometimes we moms forget that we’re still people inside!  
Here’s why losing yourself to motherhood ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, and how to find yourself again.

Motherhood should be joyful

I really love being a mom.  I’d always looked forward to it as a kid, but had never realized how all-consuming it would be.

“Motherhood” is unlike any other role or relationship in society. We’re expected to conceive, carry, birth, nurture, feed, raise and otherwise care for other human beings for years and it’s an overwhelming job to say the least.

And while biology has blessed us with a nurturing nature, it often comes at the expense of own self-preservation. All too often, we moms forget that we are also human beings with complex needs, wants and personalities.

Most of us are all too happy to lose ourselves to motherhood. It usually feels really amazing to serve these little people who we love so much! But we also need to remember to nurture ourselves.

 

What about mom’s identity?

Have you ever thought about what life will be like when your sweet little munchkins grow up and leave? I think about it all the time.  It’s both a heartbreaking thought and also a liberating one.  And I think that’s healthy!  We’re give a few short years (no, really. Childhood is such a small period of time in the grand scheme of things) to serve them, cuddle them and love them with our whole hearts.

And then they leave and we’re left with our husbands, our empty homes and whatever sense of self we may have preserved over the years. It’s kind of (really) important for us to remember who we are.

So what I’m trying to say is this: we’re amazing human beings.  Women in general, and especially mothers, come closer to Christ’s love in the nurturing of little people than any other role, ever.

But motherhood is a TOUGH job.  I hope we’re all doing what we can to retain a sense of identity, to remember who we are, and to nourish our own desires, passions and drives. An unintended benefit? We’ll be better (happier) mothers because of it.

Wondering how to accomplish this between all the carpools, baths and homework?

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