If it takes a village to raise a child, then I’m here to proclaim it takes a damn strong army to properly support a mother.
We may instinctively know how to nurture a newborn, but to fully adjust and evolve into powerful, sovereign, women and mothers, I believe we must surround ourselves with people who lift us up, hold us when we cry, and get messy right alongside us.
My hope is that in sharing my own messy, beautiful, triumphant, and scary stories in motherhood, it may inspire you to share your own.
We never know what someone else may be going through, or how they may be impacted by something we have experienced.
Your story matters, mama. More than you may ever know.
I believe I’m leaving behind a lasting impression of love; an imprint on these three souls that will reverberate for generations.
Theodore Boone Stoltzfus was born on March 2, 2022 on the day of the new moon. But this isn’t just a story about the birth of a beautiful baby boy. It’s a story of a mother claiming her power; strength she didn’t know existed within her.
I agonized for the entire 40+ weeks of my pregnancy over Theodore’s name. Maybe it was because he is our third, or because he is our rainbow baby.. but I knew he deserved a name that reflected the tremendous journey which led us to him.
I’m not sure if there has ever been a single teacher better for me than pregnancy as it relates to body image, relinquishing control, slowing down, and enjoying the journey… it has taught me so much…
I have had to learn to be ok with my daily success becoming 100% intangible. I measure it in laughs and sand castles and bubbles. It’s defined by smiles and moments. It’s a muscle I’m flexing daily, and I am slowly getting stronger in my pursuit of presence for my kids.
When I think about all that I shed in 2020: expectations, facades, jobs, stories that held me under water for years... there was no other answer for me than to approach 2021 with all the freedom in the world on my heart.
I’ve cancelled the story that “I’m not a morning person”, and have taken back ownership of how I want to live my life. I no longer let the negative energy surrounding how I used to feel about mornings own my days.
Emergence serves as the promise I am making to myself in 2023. This year I choose to stand firmly in my own light; to honor who I am at my core. It is the energy behind how I show up each and every day.