On a completely other topic... I'm feeling a little feisty today after a comment my daughter made when I picked her up from preschool the other morning. She said "Mom, Mrs. So-and-so (her teacher) thought you were my nanny - I told her 'no' you were my mom!" At first it's like ha, ha whatever take it as a compliment that I look young (which for those of you that are in your mid-thirties like me and keep getting referred to as a high schooler or in college, you know it does get old, sorry, it does). I don't think I look like a teenager, maybe youthful. Whatever.
But mostly it has me fired up that as women we judge each other so quickly and pointedly. And that as a American female of a certain age it has become the norm to be boring and act older than we look when we become moms. It's a travesty. As women we need to learn to tap into our internal fountain of youth at all ages. We are the sum of our parts, not our years. Once we become mothers, we are mothers forever... but we are women first and foremost.
Quote 'letting ourselves go' is the new joke on the playground. But it's sad and self-effacing and does no good for the next generation of women. Our kids are only babies for a short time, we are in the deep and dark trenches of parenting toddlers for a relatively short period as well. And what is left of you and yourself and your passions when the kids grow up? We shouldn't be defining ourselves by our kids. We should be paving a brave path of authenticity for them. As in - yes, I changed your diapers once. That does not make me a career diaper changer (so I'm not going to dress like one). Or yes, I clean up after you but I have my own interests and passions in addition to sweeping floors in my spare time.
At times I do refer to myself as a 'soccer-mom' half in jest and half because yes, my kids play soccer. But I'm sure you see (and my family knows for sure) that while I love my family - my life doesn't solely revolve around them. We're more of a team all working together to become our best selves.
I urge my fellow moms to tune into their passions and to their womanhood. Don't let yourself go. Don't sell yourself short. Your kids and your family - and most importantly YOU, deserve more.
Details:
Top, Target (similar)
Jacket, courtesy of Tulle (last season)
Jeans, Gap (similar)
Sandals, Forever 21 (similar)
Earrings, courtesy of Mimi's the Look (I am SO SO in love with these earrings!)
