10 years!
Pretty Mind Blowing…
I've been a Mum for 10 whole years and NGL - 10 feels really big.
Raising humans is the most fulfilling thing that I've ever done - it's far exceeded my expectations... it's been both easier and harder than I ever imagined.
The one thing that I'll double and triple down on these days is that never ever have I ever regretted doing it SoLo... the level of freedom and autonomy and the lack of drama in my life has let me parent in a space of calm that I rarely see in my coupled friends.
And my boy is an amazing kid... kind, sensitive, funny and all in all - pretty darn cool.
From the outset I realized that I'm not the parent that I imagined I would be... we bed shared, I've let my kids have tablets in Restaurants, they've had meltdowns in supermarkets and malls, they've chased pigeons (something my teenage self said I'd NEVER let my kids do) , I've bribed them, yelled a few times and spent longer in bathrooms than I needed to so I can be alone(ish).
I've also found patience I never knew existed, empathy that extended far beyond the limits of my own family and a sense of purpose that eluded me until my son entered my life.
SoMos Retreats wouldn't exist if I hadn't achieved Motherhood. I'd have been traveling the world aimlessly on a shoestring having holiday romances and feeling unfulfilled. (I know this because this is the life I promised myself when in year 2 of infertility - I knew it wouldn't really fulfill me even then.)
I'm humbled by being a parent... 10 years went by in a flash that scares me but I'm so grateful for. I can't believe that in another 10 he will be 20... slow down time
I am in awe of both my kids... constantly inspired, sometimes tired but dammit I'm living my best life.
Happy Birthday to you X... thanks for being you! I loved you before I met you. And a Happy Birth-Day to me as a Mother...
What age felt monumental to you?