we are never our own.
we must change this fact.
-nayyirah.waheed
Mothers are givers.
We give our nutrients to support our growing babe. We give space in our bodies and our hearts. We give up hours and hours of sleep. We give patience, laughter, kisses, hugs, support, discipline, advice, and ALL of the energy we have from the minute we wake up till the minute our head hits the pillow at night.** And for many of us, for quite a time, it feels like we are not our own anymore. It’s easy to forget about nurturing ourselves when we’re so busy nurturing everyone and everything else around us.
But taking care of ourselves is VITAL. Taking the time to nourish our bodies, our minds, our creativity and spirituality. To honor ourselves and say “no” when we need to. To ask for what we need whether that’s time alone, a date night with our boo or time off to hang with our girls. To exercise and eat right because we realize that our bodies are sacred temples, not because there’s a standard we all need to fit or trends we need to follow.
Often times self-love and self-care are often associated with indulgence and vanity and can be misunderstood. It is OKAY to love your curves and the feel of your own skin. It is OKAY to wear jeans that hug your hips just right and a bathing suit that shows off all your sexiness. It is OKAY to be a working mom or a stay-at-home mom— we are all doing out best for ourselves and our families. It is OKAY to put yourself first. It is OKAY to take selfies when you’re feeling fucking beautiful. (Yah, go take one right now, girl cuz you ARE fucking beautiful!)
Learning to take care of and love yourself doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process of testing your limits and doing hard things. I am still at the beginning of my own journey.
What does a journey towards self-love look like for me?
Welp.
For one it’s speaking up and asking for what I want/need. Like, I wanted to sign up for Integrative Nutrition’s program because I needed to feed my mind and have the opportunity to do something new for my future.
It’s keeping a routine and exercising every morning simply because it makes me FEEL good. It’s a practice in honesty with yourself and with those around you. And it will look different everyday. And that is okay.
** Love out there to all the Papas too!