Motherhood: A Personal Transformation
At 24 years old, I was not “ready to become a mom”. I wasn’t ready to give up the spontaneity, the adventures, my fitness, my path to a successful career… bottom line- I wasn’t ready to “change”. What I didn’t realize then was, you’re never “ready” and that change is the catalyst for personal growth. Learning to maintain your priorities and values, while raising and teaching your children is the biggest challenge. Motherhood has taught me the true meaning of life and brought the ultimate challenge of adaptability, which has made me an even stronger human being.
Since our kids were babies, I have worked remotely. In their younger years, my amazing mom helped out immensely while I worked, and eventually our older children attended traditional school full time. I was working to help provide for our family and even more so, battling to establish and maintain an identity for myself- of career, of success. I utilized all the childcare I could so I could gain more clients, work more, make more money. Early on, I would recognize how much I enjoyed the slower days at home with the kids while I juggled the schedule and worked early hours of the morning and late at night. However, as mothers we are consistently told to be more successful, yet you are the mother- take care of your family. So, I pushed on trying to work more, make more. And I experienced the depth of that battle so fiercely, until last year.
When our son Woods was born and was sent on a flight-for-life to Children’s Hospital, I experienced an awakening and a closing simultaneously. An awakening and solidifying of my priorities and the true importance in life and a closing to a battle for an identity that wasn’t mine.
Our move to the Western Slope in 2022 had already, slowly, started this shift in our priorities, mindsets and our lives subconsciously. We were forced to slow down and adjust as we began re-growing businesses following the move. And during that time we spent more and more time together as a family. We experienced the flexibility of our schedules and spent more time camping, hiking, gardening, playing outside, traveling, hunting. After the week in the hospital with Woods and a huge scare, we were forever committed to this slower, more present lifestyle with our family. We even began throwing the idea around to homeschool- an idea I never fathomed we would consider.
And now, here we are. Approaching our first year of homeschool complete. A year of homeschooling out of the camper, hunting for 30 days while working remotely at Elk Camp, traveling to visit family across the United States while maintaining our businesses and school schedule. The hustle and of dropping the kids off so we could work our asses off had quickly disappeared.
We now begin working at 4 o’clock in the morning, we workout at 6:30am (most of the time with the entire family), homeschool, balance work and home life the remainder of the day and repeat the next. Although not for everyone, this is ideal for us.
Each morning, as I sit in our homeschool room and juggle my spirited 2nd grader, laser-focused kindergartener and wild 10 month old, I am amazed. Even through all of the hard days, diverting arguments, struggle of juggling- we are together. I get to teach my values of spontaneity, adventure, prioritizing self-care, health and fitness. All the years I viewed motherhood as taking away from each of those values, but in reality, motherhood is an opportunity to teach our children those values and strengthen ours in order to live a more fulfilling life, not give them up.
What motherhood has taught me is life is short; it goes by too fast. Embrace the ebbs and flows, be adaptable, embrace change, be spontaneous, adventure as a family, prioritize your body, mind and soul to the greatest depth. Embrace every single moment you have together, because these years go by too fast. Motherhood can be the biggest personal transformation, if you let it.
In a world that urges mothers to be successful while also caring for their families, finding balance can be a relentless battle. But here's the truth: as a mother, you can achieve success and raise a thriving family. It's not an either/or scenario; it's about discovering the harmony that works for you.