She steps out of the shower and looks at herself in the mirror.
Standing there, she begins to cry.
Hidden behind the baby bump, the stretch marks and the short hair – she could no longer recognize herself.
Who is this woman?
So bland and meek?
What happened to me? She thought.
Stressed. Tired. Lost. Empty. Stripped from all emotion – she realised that she was lost, stuck in a rut with no clue how to escape it. Motherhood had taken over her life. She knew that being a mother would be challenging, with a variety of rewards. She just had no idea that she would feel excluded from her own life. That she would be stuck in a rut.
Take your time, mama.
Take a single minute out of your busy day and look into the mirror. Look at your face, how it’s changed. Your body, how it’s evolved. Look, but also see. See how your face lights up when you think of the babies you’ve carried. See how your beautiful your body is after birthing children.
Take a close look, and remember it. Remember the feeling of love, courage and confidence you felt when you looked at yourself in the mirror, just days after having given birth. Remember how ecstatic you were to finally be a mother. Remember how amazing you felt about this new chapter in your life.
Because one day, mama, you will look in the mirror and feel lost. One day you will feel as though the person you want to be for your children has completely warped and become this mean and irritable mother.
So, take your time mama and be patient with yourself, because tomorrow, you’ll be nostalgic for these moments.
