What does it mean to be a mom? How much time do we have?!

What does it mean to be a mom? How much time do we have?!?

Motherhood means so many different things and it keeps evolving as our family grows and changes. The first few years of motherhood was a journey of self-discovery. Challenge after challenge, more of my true self was revealed to me. Becoming a mom showed me who I am, how strong I am and what mattered the most. It awoke passions in my soul that I never knew existed. It also taught me self-acceptance because I was raising a little girl, that would one day navigate the same insecurities I harboured... I needed to learn to respect and love myself in order to be the example she needed, to one day love herself too. Eliana showed me the beauty in my flaws, the strength that lies in my weaknesses and in many ways I was (re)born too.

Then, our second daughter came along. My heart instantly doubled! I discovered that love can't be measured and that if we let it, it will overflow into every part of our life. When we love abundantly nothing is impossible, we can give (and receive) all the gifts and blessings this life offers and acting in love changes the world. Lia made me fearless, she gave me confidence and a joyful heart.

Ava is our baby and our 3rd. Once again motherhood changed... And so did I. Motherhood showed me how perfectly, imperfectly life is and how beauty resides in the everyday. Being a mom to 3 forced me to slow down amongst the "busy", to appreciate life and to live with grace. Grace for others and grace for myself.

But Motherhood has also torn me down at times. The loss of a dream when we experienced a miscarriage will always stay with me. Never have I felt more lost, sad and broken... Yet in those moments God cradled me, picking me up, putting me back together - revealing His love for me.

Becoming a parent hasn't just shown me God's love for us, more importantly, it has let me experience it. The unconditional, overpowering, all-encompassing love I feel for our girls, is only a taste of how God loves us. And through His love we are worthy.

All of these experiences have forced me to let go of who I thought I wanted/needed to be...

Growing in motherhood gave me the freedom to become the person God created me to be!

And that's probably the most significant meaning of motherhood.

Mari-Louise Candiotes

@justamamma

www.justamamma.com

(Image source: https://www.madisonandwestlifestyle.com/)