Somewhere Along the Way, I Forgot That I Was a Person Too: A Letter to Moms Who Need to Hear This

Jeezzzzz… Motherhood is a wild ride. Am I right?

I made an Instagram post and figured this deserved a spot in my blog too, here is the IG post.

One minute you're rocking a newborn at 3:00 a.m., convinced you'll never sleep again. The next minute you're packing school lunches and snacks, driving to sports, juggling work or business, wondering why the laundry somehow reproduces overnight (seriously... dang, HOW?!), and trying to remember the last time you drank your coffee while it was still hot.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that...

I forgot that I was a person too.

Don't get me wrong—I absolutely love being a mom. My boys are my world, and if you know me, you know they're the reason I work as hard as I do. I wouldn't trade motherhood for anything.

But oh man, I spent so many years pouring every ounce of myself into everyone else that I slowly stopped making room for... me.

It wasn't intentional.

I think a lot of moms do this.

We become experts at remembering everyone else's appointments, favorite snacks, shoe sizes, and schedules. We know exactly what everyone needs before they even ask.

But when someone asks us what we want?

We freeze.

Because somewhere along the way, we stopped asking ourselves that question.

The Year Everything Started to Change

This past year has been different.

Probably a bit too late, my boys are 10 and 15!

I've said yes to girls' nights.

I've traveled with the boys, for a girls trip and by myself.

I've danced... even if my back has an opinion about it the next morning. 😂

I've laughed until my stomach hurt.

I've made memories that belong just to me.

And you know what?

The world didn't fall apart.

My kids were okay.

Actually... whoa, they were more than okay.

Because something amazing happened that I wasn't expecting.

The happier I became, the better mom I became.

Not because I suddenly became perfect (let's be real—that's never happening).

But because I remembered that I matter too.

Moms Are Allowed to Have Fun

Somewhere along the way, society convinced a lot of us that being a "good mom" means constantly putting ourselves last.

That if we're resting, we're lazy. Ugh!

If we're traveling, we're selfish.

If we're dancing, laughing, or taking a girls' trip... somehow we're taking something away from our children.

Can we just throw that idea in the trash?

Because it's simply not true.

Our children are watching us every single day.

They're learning what adulthood looks like.

They're learning what love looks like.

They're learning what self-care looks like.

I want my boys to grow up knowing that women deserve joy.

That moms deserve to laugh.

That it's okay to take a trip.

To dance like nobody's watching (even though your teenagers (if you have) are absolutely judging you 😂).

To spend time with friends.

To chase dreams.

To have hobbies.

To be more than just the person holding everything together.

Filling Your Cup Isn't Selfish

For the longest time, I thought doing something for myself meant I was taking something away from my family.

Holy moly... was I wrong.

When my cup is full, I have more patience.

More energy.

More joy.

More laughter.

More of myself to give.

Taking care of myself doesn't compete with being a good mom.

It supports it.

And honestly?

I think that's one of the biggest lessons I've learned over the past year.

Here's Your Reminder

If you're reading this and you've forgotten what lights you up...

Go find it.

Maybe it's dancing.

Maybe it's traveling.

Maybe it's reading a book without someone asking you for a snack every seven minutes.

Maybe it's meeting a friend for coffee.

Maybe it's taking family photos and actually stepping into the frame instead of hiding behind the camera or phone.

Whatever it is...

Do it.

Without guilt.

Because your children don't just need a mother who takes care of everyone else.

They need a mother who remembers herself, too.

So yes, I'll still pack the snacks.

I'll still cheer at every game (I’m soooo loud! lol).

I'll still answer "Mom!" approximately 4,372 times a day.

I'll still magically find the thing that everyone swears is missing (you're welcome 😏).

But I'll also keep saying yes to adventures.

Yes to dancing.

Yes to traveling.

Yes to laughter.

Because life moves fast.

And yesssss... I want to actually live it.

So here's to being incredible moms...

...and incredible women, too.

I think we deserve both.