ARE YOU JUST A MAMA?
What I DON’T appreciate is that question. It implies that being a mama isn’t enough. It implies that what I do all day isn’t fulfilling. It calls into question the importance of what I do. I’m not here to tell y’all for the 1 millionth time how hard being a mom is. You’ve heard that from me and from other mamas most likely. You yourself know it if you are a parent. What I want to do in this blog post is tell you what being “just a mama” actually is.
Being “just a mama” is being someone’s whole world. I carried my son for nine months. I was God’s chosen vessel to bring another life into this world. That’s important. After those nine months, my body brought him out into the world. That’s important. After that, I nourished him and cared for him with my body. And now, I am still his world. I am the first person he sees when he wakes up and one of the last he sees when he closes his eyes at night.
He will learn love, commitment, strength, and most importantly, he’ll learn about God through me. My every decision, action, and word is being watched, listened to, and learned from. Being “just a mama” is being a teacher and the first influence on the character development of a human being. That is important.
Being “just a mama” is many jobs rolled into one. Caretaking, cleaning, nourishing, loving, disciplining, supporting, and so many more things. Things that take learning and trial and error to figure out and do successfully. Things that you will think about all day long. Sometimes, all night long too. It’s not nine-five. It’s not five days a week. It’s all day every day.
Being “just a mama” is my passion. I am passionate about my son. I am passionate about who he will become and helping him get there. I am passionate about my son becoming a man of God. I am right where I want to be, and most importantly I am right where God wants me to be.
None of this is to say that you shouldn’t have passions outside of your children. I do! I love to write and read and take pictures of my kid. If you can make a business out of a personal passion, that is great! But never assume that mothers who don’t, aren’t living up to their full potential. Don’t assume that they aren’t happy and fulfilled. And don’t devalue the role of a mother! We are shaping humans!!
This blog post was brought to you by @ashlea.mama.mizell. More than a toy designer, be mindful is a community of parents who are going through the process of building the best denizens of next generation. As such we encourage and delight in our community participating in our blog and social media efforts. Your voice will be heard across our community and who knows which kid or which parent your wisdom will enlighten! Feel free to email us at howdy@mindful-engineering.com or submit an inquiry on our site if you have a blog post idea you want to share!
