Motherhood didn’t make me lose myself

 Motherhood didn’t make me lose myself.

Well, maybe for a little while it did.
Somewhere between the sleepless nights, the crying, and the endless to do lists…
I started to forget who I was before they called me “Mom.”

But slowly, I started finding pieces of her again.
In the songs I still love.
In the clothes that make me feel like me.
In the way I light up when I talk about something I’m passionate about.

Motherhood reminded me how important it is to hold on to those things.
Because my kids are watching.
They’re learning from me what it looks like to grow up
and still keep the parts of yourself that make you you.

If I want them to love who they are,
to chase what makes them come alive,
to speak up, dress how they want, and follow what feels right
then I have to show them it’s okay to do that first.

So no, I didn’t lose myself to motherhood.
I just had to remember her again.
And now, they get to see the version of me
that’s both their mom and still my own person.