I spent the last week on vacation watching trees sway, fire flies dance through dark and my little boy dive into the swimming pool with unbridled excitement and silliness. As a youth I took so much time to think, now it is hard to really investigate myself because things are just too darn busy. However, last week, I got that chance & I realized something about myself. I realized how parenthood changed me when it shouldn't have. I realized that my true, wild, adventurous, rebellious, free thinking self is just as well suited for parenthood as this uber-responsible person I have become. It worked for a while & perhaps it was necessary when my little one was a baby. But as I watched this grown up little boy wiggle through the days with zest I realized it was time to introduce him to the original "me." Now the only problem is finding "her." I think I left her in Costa Rica or Indonesia or Mexico. I might have to take a few vacations to remember where she is. :) "Don't hold back" is my motto for 2010. What is yours?
Print can be found here.
This is such a beautiful post, love the print and it's a perfect motto!! Noah is very lucky......xo
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. I love this post so much and wholeheartedly agree with you. I think we are conditioned to think that we sacrifice EVERYTHING once we have kids. To some extent I agree with that, but there does come a time, like your reflection here, when we should just be ourselves. I think we're more fun and productive that way anyway. Again, great post:)
ReplyDeleteThanks girls I am glad to hear other people feel the same sometimes. :) Miss you guys.
ReplyDeleteThis is truly awesome!
ReplyDeletebeautiful and so true. don't hold back is a constant life motto this year... go for it and give it all. :) nice meeting your adorable blog!
ReplyDeleteLove Heidi's post on the summer at the swimming pool. Those warm, swimming pool days are what we lived for as kids. Seeing the joy on little ones faces brings the priorities of life into focus.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully put! I am a new mom to a 15 month old and i can totally relate to this post. As he has gotten older, i have began to mellow out to my old self again...Lovely blog
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading your post and as a mother to a gorgeous 2 years old girl I can totally relate to what you wrote.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same process myself.
I took 2 courses lately - creative writing and textile printing. In a way, maybe because the time and focus on myself when I'm there, maybe because I'm in a company of unfamiliar people (rather than friends or other parents), it loosing the 'old' me and I really enjoy it. I find that meeting new people, especially ones that are not meet through our kids, is so liberation as I can be myself and not just ...
A vacation sounds like a great idea as well!!
Saw a quote today that talked about how much more valuable who you are as a person is than how perfect a parent you are. Not to say that you aren't, just that this nails it with saying we need to keep who we are. I would advocate heavy travel research ;)
ReplyDeleteOh my I so agree... Don't hold back! I'm doing something very exciting right now in my life & business. Your post just helped me even more! ;) You said it so beautifully! Thank you! Good luck finding yourself... You will again & you will shine like no tomorrow!!!!!!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Alexandra
Thanks for the encouragement everyone. It motivates me even more to dig for my answers. :) Love to you all.
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