Growing Up

Love is an emotion that is one of the hardest to define. Is it a feeling? Is it a decision? Is it blind? Is it madness? Are there different types of love? Loving someone is never logical. We always try to make sense of what it means to love and be loved, but everyone seems to have a different opinion of what true love is. This morning, my daughter and I exchanged a series of “I love yous” and “I love you mores,” and I couldn’t help but forget about any problem I’ve been facing in my life. As we stared at each other and expressed our deep seeded love for one another, nothing else mattered. I wanted to...

I have two boys, my oldest is three and my youngest is one and a half. It seems the older they are, the more “limited” I feel. When I first began this post, I tried thinking of all the things I gave up when I became a mom, like sleep, relaxing dinners, or uninterrupted bathroom breaks. However, the more I thought about this, the more I longed for the "easier" newborn days (as if that exists!) when I could still window shop, take road trips, or talk on the phone. Aside from naps and an early bedtime, I didn't feel limited in early motherhood. I could tailor each day to the schedule I liked best.   Until my youngest turned one, I was...

Motherhood is tough, no doubt about it. As if there isn't enough to worry about with our kids, we also have to worry about hiding the Tide pods from our teenagers, and I recently found out that there’s a condom snorting challenge?! On top of school violence, and oh you know, just the regular everyday illnesses that can affect our kids, I am over it!! This motherhood thing is so darn hard. I'm amazed that moms are not wandering around in some Apocalypse Now daze. It's hard to believe that some people actually question why moms are on anti-anxiety medication. You need them even if you haven't been medically diagnosed ... it’s called survival!! I got pregnant for my oldest son...

“You raise your kids for the world.” My Paw-Paw first uttered these words of wisdom to my mom, and now she has passed them down to me as I navigate motherhood. As my children get older and face new experiences and obstacles, this seven-word phrase has taken on new meaning. I get it now. All I want to do is shield my children from any negative emotion or situation and prevent broken hearts, scraped knees, bad grades, or rejection. I can’t though, and I’m finally coming to terms with something else … maybe I shouldn’t. It seems my mom’s go-to statement of “one day, you’ll understand” is finally hitting home. “You raise your kids for the world.”   I turn to this quote...

I knew it would happen one day. My loving and kind little girls who ordinarily treat me like I hung the moon would look me in the eye and tell me something awful about myself. I just didn’t think it would happen so soon. I was going through the usual morning wardrobe negotiations, when one of my girls looked at me and said, “Mama, you’re fat.” My husband jumped in to protect my honor, while I stared in shock. I can usually laugh off the typical childish insults like “Mom, you’re stupid” or “I hate you, Mom,” because I know I’m not stupid and I know they love me. But this one cut to the bone, because it’s something I...