To my Pre-Mom Self:
I look at you with your wild and carefree spirit. You had dreams of traveling the world, expanding your horizons, and launching the career of your dreams. But the desire of motherhood kept knocking on your heart. Each time you would sit by yourself in your quiet and spotless apartment after a long day at work, you would imagine hearing the giggles of little ones. Every time you would save up enough money to hop on a plane for an adventure in Europe, you would be reminded of the adoption costs you had researched. There’s a reason your sense of adventure morphed into a longing to be a mother. It’s who you were created to be!
It’s where you shine!
I see you looking in the mirror at your young and fit shape, yet wishing you were thinner. While you pick yourself apart, you could never imagine the way it feels to give life to a child. This life will stretch you and widen your shape, and never in a million years would you believe that going days without a shower, sleep, or a hot meal would be the joy of your life, but it will be!
So here’s my advice…
Sleep long and hard and enjoy it! Take those vacations and soak up as many new experiences as you can. Love your body for exactly the way it is, and look forward to the reasons why it will change after having kids. Pursue personal development so that you can confidently teach your children all the reasons why they should love themselves exactly the way they are and so that you don’t forget who you are.
I also have advice for when you become a new mama. Give yourself grace! Let me tell you a secret…no moms really know what they are doing, so don’t expect yourself to be the first! Do what you can and give an abundance of love to help compensate for what you do not yet know.
Be prepared for a void to be filled that you didn’t even know you had the moment that sweet, wrinkly babe is placed in your arms. Though the house will no longer be quiet, and sleep will be a distant memory, you will love being a mother — you were made to be the mother of this child.
I also want to reassure you that your dreams are still alive and well — even after kids! You will be able to continue building the career of your dreams with one hand while rocking your baby with another. You will spend many nights crying yourself to sleep over “mom fails,” but you and your husband will also laugh until your sides hurt about the funny things your children did that day.
Though your body may become softer, your heart will become stronger. You may not love every minute of motherhood, but never once would you trade it for your pre-mom self.
I can say that I don’t miss you, If anything, I’m excited for you!
You see, the best is yet to come!