Strong Moms

As a title, it seems a little bit intense, like maybe a weightlifting thing or a healthy living thing or even a survivor thing. That’s okay, we’re here for the weightlifting moms (and the fitness haters, or the too busy right now for that) and the healthy moms (and the ones eating fast food and hoping for a little time to take a deep breath) and survivors of all kinds.

Stronger is really for everyone. Here’s why. There is no real reason to be weaker. Weaker never feels better, it’s never inspiring or desirable. Moving forward is for moms who love their kids and themselves and are ready for something a little better. There is always something a little better that we want and so we would choose it, again and again. Maybe we don’t know what we are looking for that’s better….stronger. Maybe we just yearn for something that is less painful, or somehow just need something that feels different- something that isn’t really substantially different, just safer or not so hard. None of us set out to be “stronger” necessarily, than someone else. We just set out to figure it out. Maybe we didn’t “set out” at all because that sounds overwhelming to “set out” when all we can do is drag one foot in front of the other and hope that somehow some relief will come from somewhere, anywhere.

I see you, because I’ve been you. I’ve wanted better for myself, for my kids, for my home, and in my case, my marriage as well. I’m still wanting better, wanting more, wanting because I can. Show me someone that doesn’t want anything and I’ll show you a rreeaallyyyy boring person. And a dejected liar, most likely. There is more and there is better and we will find it together.

I’m a mom of young adult children and also younger kids down to a 4th grader. I was in the baby stage for sixteen years and I know that the challenges just get different, they don’t go away just because your kids eventually sleep through the night or are all potty trained. I know that your marriage or subsequent divorce or loss through death or disability or the original reality of single parenthood that may be your experience play out a lot like the soundtrack to a movie, even when the mute is on, the movie plays with or without it. The kids still need to eat, sleep, be comforted, fight bedtime or embrace it, day in and day out. You don’t get to push pause – or if you have a great baby sitter you maybe do sometimes, just for a moment of peace! Your kids are constant, constantly needing something and constantly giving you a reason to figure it all out, moment to moment because you want them to be okay. We want amazing things for them but let’s be honest- sometimes we just hope they will turn out okay despite us.

We are stronger because we decide to be, by moving forward toward something better. Stronger happens when we move, and the more effort it takes to move forward the stronger we grow.

We aren’t weaker or broken.

We just need to flex a bit more.