What Would You Do?

To all you moms out there: whether you are raising/have raised your own kids—or ones that are not yours—or if your babies happen to have fur, I hope you had a wonderful mother’s day.

This was the first mother’s day where I celebrated myself as a mom.

Both my own mother and mother-in-law are in heaven. This year my focus was on me and on my beautiful daughter, who is also a mom. That girl has her hands full with my granddaughters, ages 4. 5 and 2. 5. For the first time, I didn’t take a backseat to the other moms in my life. Not that I didn’t love and appreciate them when they were here. But now I was free to honor myself and all that I do/have done.

My daughter and I went out to eat. This was a luxury for us both—for her to enjoy a meal without worrying about the kids and eating in peace. For me, I cherished how special it was to sit with this amazing grown woman, who was once my baby. As she was growing up, my daughter never realized the challenges of being a mom. Or how taxing the sleepless nights can be, how tiresome it is tending to their countless needs: the feeding, the bathing, the clothing…and the list goes on. And on. Not to mention the process of birthing and healing. It is a thankless job that we give our whole hearts to.

Her little ones are too small to appreciate all that she does for them. But that’s not what we’re in it for, is it?

To the moms of humans (including those who mom their own moms) or fur babies, or the constant givers who shove your own wants and desires to the side, I put this out here for you to consider:

When was the last time you mothered yourself? Are you taking care of your own wants and needs?

Teal Swan, a spiritual Youtube influencer, created the most profound video on self-love. She posed this question:

If you loved yourself, what would you do?

Or if you struggle with self worth or love, close your eyes, imagine you are your own best version of your mother. What advice would you give yourself? To slow down? Get more sleep? Take a luxurious nap? Put soothing scents in your bath? Treat yourself to that little dessert you’ve been craving? Would you tell yourself that you’re worth it?

She issued a challenge. On the first day of the new year, commit to making yourself your first priority for those 365 days. Ask yourself this: What would I do if I loved myself? Now, if you did that and acted upon it, how would that look in your life? How would you show up for your family, for your friends, for yourself?

Now, most of us have obligations. Littles or fur babies, or providing care for others, or our jobs often take first priority. But even if you can’t embrace the challenge, it never hurts to check in with yourself.

The truth is we don’t need it to be Mother’s Day or our birthday to prioritize ourselves. Even if you only take 5 minutes a day, I hope you make the time to mother yourself in the way you deserve.

You are worthy. Know it. Believe it.

P.S. Q: What did the mommy spider say to the baby spider? A: You spend too much time on the web. (Courtesy of pioneerwoman.com)