Naked Memoir: Motherhood

Photographer: Elizabeth Blair Stephenson

This isn’t going to be another “my child is my everything” post. This is my “naked memoir”.

If I’m being honest, I was totally unprepared for the loss of autonomy that comes with motherhood AND the affect that loss of autonomy would have on my mental health. Don’t get me wrong, I love my daughter more than words can articulate but that type of love feels heavy at times(imagine your heart being removed from your body, moving freely in the world and you can’t control what happens to it). That’s what motherhood feels like at times.

We are bombarded with messages that tell us our lives and happiness don’t begin until we become mothers. And it couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s so important to maintain your identity, sense of self and interests outside of motherhood…for multiple reasons. One, doing so is personally enriching and fulfilling(reminder: you don’t cease being an individual once you become a mom). Two, doing so can also help with depression. And three, our kids are watching. I want to raise my daughter to brave and to go after everything she wants in life. But that starts with me.

So don’t wait for your kids to go off to college or become adults to have YOUR life. Start right now! 👊🏿

-Chic-a, The Self-Love Advocate

Photographer: Elizabeth Blair Stephenson