Dear Mama,
I know celebrating Valentine’s Day is probably the last thing on your mind. I know that you’re standing at the kitchen counter alone after the kids are asleep, folding Paw Patrol valentines for your son’s class, or swinging by Target on your way home from work with the hope that they still have a cute-themed onesie for your daughter. I know that babysitters are hard to come by and trying to navigate a Valentine’s date night with your spouse on one of the busiest restaurant nights of the year sounds like way more work than it’s worth. I know you may not feel sexy or that the most romantic conversations with your partner these days involve the consistency of your baby’s bowel movements and end with you both silently scrolling your phones.
So that’s why, Mama, this Valentine’s Day, I’m not asking you to craft the perfect Valentine’s Day card box for your kids or schedule a candlelight dinner with your spouse. I’m asking you to do something way harder than that – I want you to fall in love with yourself.
I know how hard it can be to look in the mirror and struggle to see any glimpse of your former self. To love your kids and spouse so unbelievably hard but to not have the first clue how to figure out who you are as a woman who is now wrapped up in motherhood. To have invested so much of yourself into your family that you have no idea who you are outside of it.
I want you to look past the unwashed yoga pants and the exhaustion to see the warrior you are. The everyday hustle and bustle of raising small children is no easy feat, but we sometimes add insult to injury by being so unnecessarily hard on ourselves.
You, Mama, were beautifully made to raise these babies and endure every obstacle along the way.
You, Mama, are full of grace and beauty. If you aren’t looking in the mirror on even the worst of hair days and finding something beautiful about yourself, inside or out, then girl, I so badly want you to shift your perspective.
This Valentine’s Day, I want you to fall in love with who you are in this very moment – in whatever season of life you’re in, in whatever size pants you’re wearing, regardless of what society tells you that you should or shouldn’t love about your body. I want you to take stock of your soul and your emotional well-being – are you placing boundaries in your life to protect your mental health? Are you being gentle with yourself and practicing the same kindness to yourself that you extend to the people you love?
You are made for this, Mama. And don’t you forget it. You can do hard things and find love for yourself in the process. So this Valentine’s Day, if you’re offering love, compassion, care and kindness to those around you, I want you to take a good, hard look in the mirror and make sure you’re offering it to yourself, too.
With Love,
A Mama learning to love herself, too
