Who Am I… Meditating on My Life Outside of Motherhood

Impression

Today, I sit and ponder about what impression I am leaving in my life.

What do people think when they hear my name?

What do people think when they first see me? Does this change once they get to know me?

Am I leaving the type of impression in this life that I want to leave?

We are told from a young age that what others think of us important. Well, we aren’t necessarily TOLD this, in fact, we are told the opposite-to be ourselves. But, this is contradictory to what the media shows us.

We are told, we need to dress a certain way.

We need to eat certain foods.

We need to parent our children a certain way.

We need to buy certain name brands.

And yet, our parents told us to “be ourselves.”

But, WHO AM I?

First of all, I am a wife and mother. That’s the obvious, quick answer I can give. But, what if I dig a little bit deeper into myself and try to unlock who I REALLY am outside of these labels?

I am an artist. I love to be creative and make new things. Building, refurbishing, drawing…just creating in general! I love to let my mind wander to the “what if…” or “could I make…” and then making it happen!

I am an outdoorsman. My happy place is out on the hiking trails or at the beach soaking up the sun. I love to explore by climbing mountains and snorkeling. Getting lost in nature brings me peace.

I am Christian. I have the love of Jesus in me and I hope this is reflected when people see me. I oftentimes put others before myself and I try to see them through Jesus’s eyes.

I am a baker. I enjoy being in the kitchen and  experimenting with new recipes. If I can make a meal or a treat that my family enjoys, it makes me feel great about myself.

I am a girlfriend. As a military spouse, I’ve had to move several times over the years. With this, comes the opportunity to create new friendships along the way. Some of these friendships are seasonal. Yet, some are for a lifetime. Either way, these relationships are important to me and shape me.

As I am thinking about this, I can’t help but question how many people know these other pieces of me? 

Do they only see me as a mom or as the EDMC’s wife?

What am I doing to make ME stand out above these other labels? Don’t get me wrong, I am PROUD to be a mom and wife.

But, there is so much more to ME than that.

Through this season of motherhood, I can’t lose sight of WHO I AM.

I need to keep ME and add that to being a mom.

I need to prioritize ME more and continue to do what makes me ME!