On Tuesday, September 27, 2022, I officially became a published author. The road to publication has been nothing short of a journey, however, I am proud of this project.
To celebrate the release of the book, my publisher, LaunchCrate, hosted a virtual launch party. Rae Daniel, reporter and anchor for KSHB and one of the sweetest souls, served as host for the event. Of course, Mari, the inspiration behind the book, made a noteworthy and memorable apprearance.
Check it out here!
For me, the calm and still that fill the house first thing in the morning are priceless. Simply being able to move around, gather my thoughts and brew some coffee before diving into the morning routine are both necessary and essential. Everybody’s day starts off better when I’m able to correctly gather myself.
Being a mom to the most beautiful, most intelligent brown skinned girl in the world for the last four years has brought out a type of strength and resilience that I hadn’t experienced before. Being married to the most handsome, most knowledgeable husband who can come in with the right words at the right time has also given me a soft place to land and lay my head when times get tough.
Even as those things are true, this is also true: I am more than a mom and wife. The journey to figuring that out has been tricky, not always a straight path, but one I am committed to figuring out, for myself. I know that a strong, sturdy and solid individual ultimately makes me a stronger partner and parent. For me, it is being able to define myself first without needing to include my proximity to other people. I think about it like this: a kid screaming “Mommy” from the other room when she first wakes up will end soon and I hope she will be off continuing to live her best life. How can I help her be the best version of herself if my sole purpose is tied up in my relationships with other people? Tough to say out loud, but the reality I sit in.
As I mentioned, this journey is not as simple as it sounds. Yet at the same time, I’ve been able to identify simple ways to show up for myself and remember who I am. This includes the self-care activity of a bubble bath, wine and candles. For me, it also means a daily journaling exercise to capture the joy from the day and sometimes the joy is as simple as being able to watch TV. Writing it down now is helpful to revisit when I need a reminder of the good things that are right in front of me.
Being more than a mom and wife means understanding when a timeout is needed. Being able to say, “Y’all are getting on my nerves” isn’t comfortable, yet having the awareness is critical. I also recognize that being Superwoman is not actually #goals. No, I will not be packing Pinterest perfect meals for my kid to take to school everyday (shoutout to my husband for helping me to see this) and she will not have us running around every weekend from activity to activity.
This also means saying yes to myself by committing to keeping my therapy sessions, setting time aside to hang out with my friends and giving myself permission to rest without guilt. Being more than a mom means saying what I need outloud from my husband as well as calling on the village (read: my mom) to keep the kid for an overnight stay.
The journey to being the best me isn’t easy, but well worth it, for everyone I love.