Let's chat. It's been awhile...

As I typed this post, Tommy (just turned 4-years-old!) came downstairs and said, “I think you need a hug.” Followed by, “What are you doing down here? Were you waiting for me to hug you?” To which I replied, “Always.”

The past few months have been uh…an adjustment. I’ve found myself spiraling into the same questioning thought loop that began Mama Wins almost 4 years ago. Back then I was adapting to life with 3 kids and every day felt like a 3-ring circus minus the cheering crowd, tasty popcorn and admission fees. I saw no end in sight to the chaos and as ridiculous as it may sound, I didn’t see how I was bringing any value to society.

To others my life may have appeared funny, cute, and joyful. And it was at times, but I had trouble seeing and appreciating those moments while everything felt so overwhelming. Meanwhile, Hannes’s sales team had an initiative at work where they shared their “win for the day.” I enjoyed hearing about his office days, because it felt like an escape for me. A connection to my old self. Eventually it struck me, why not apply the same concept to motherhood? Of course not every aspect of parenting boils down to wins and losses, but the perspective shift is what I was striving for…By focusing on daily wins, silver linings, and lessons learned, maybe my energy and attitude would experience a noticeable shift too. And it did! And I felt compelled to help others see and share their “wins” too.

Fast forward to November 2020: I feel similarly overwhelmed...(not a huge surprise given all that’s unfolded this year.) Thankfully, I have more mental tools and talk more openly about my challenges. As a I process things, I often write my experiences and share on my personal page. And thanks to encouragement from many of you, I’ve decided to post on Mama Wins again. :) In many ways storytelling is my therapy. A way to record my experiences in hopes of reminding myself down the road and maybe help another person or two along the way. Previously, I spent more time trying to convince others to share their stories, but I know it’s very personal and not everyone’s “cup of tea.” If and when you want to share some of your stories too, I’d absolutely love to hear them! In the meantime, I’ll keep sharing mine and resharing those who’ve already contributed to Mama Wins.

All that being said, here is a short story about a recent car conversation … not sure if this is a mama win or kid win - ha!

With a stretch of highway ahead of us, I jumped on my soap box and told the kids that no matter our age, we’re ALL still learning and experiencing new things and that adults often learn FROM kids (blahdy blah blah... full on soliloquy mode.) When my oldest chimes in, “Yep, that’s because adults are worried about A LOT of stuff. And kids, well, we’re just having fun, observing, exploring, and getting confused.” (Isla, 8) Ha! So simple and so true. I thought that last one was interesting. Kids just accept that being confused is part of the journey… and they do their best to learn and move on.

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Wishing you a day, week, and year filled with freeing confusion and awestruck discovery! And lots of spontaneous hugs.