Sometime in the murky past, I was on an internet forum where someone noted that a disproportionate number of mothers choose usernames centering on their role as a mom: briansmommy, motheroftwins, momandthreemonkeys, etc. The person posed the question whether it is a positive thing to define yourself by the role you play in life, especially when that role centers on someone else.
I don't recall what the consensus was on the forum, or even what my response was at the time. All I know is that I'm increasingly coming to embody that scenario. Not that I'm considering changing my blog title to "Mama of Two" in a few weeks, but mothering does dominate my time and thoughts far more than anything else these days.
While I love cooking and I compulsivley turn on NPR in the car to hear the latest news or soak up a bit of culture, most of the time my mental energy is devoted to molding my daughter's character, figuring out what she's trying to communicate, and struggling to remain calm when she spills another glass of juice. Motherhood challenges and rewards me more than any other activity ever has. It is a source of incredible joy, but it also relentlessly reminds me how imperfect I am. Taking all that into account, I suppose it's a logical step to define myself by the role that consumes my time and thoughts, motivates and directs my efforts at self-improvement, and consistently brings me the most joy.
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3 comments:
You are so sweet; I too often think of my childrens' imperfections instead of my own. :)
I do, too. DesTot's comment that she doesn't get mad when her mom spills has been on my mind a lot lately. I've been amazed at how many things I've spilled since I read that.
Good insight to a mothers mind :)
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