Motherhood. A blessing, a struggle and the messy middle.
Motherhood can be hard. But it’s also beautiful and magical. It’s so many things intertwined, a challenge and a blessing, a struggle and a joy. It lasts a lifetime and yet passes by in fleeting moments.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve experienced both the raw, unfiltered reality of being a mother and the deep, unmatched love it brings. Motherhood is never one-dimensional; it is messy, exhausting, extraordinary, and life-changing, often all in the same day.
When Motherhood is magic...
At its heart, motherhood is love in its purest form. It’s the warmth of little arms wrapped around your neck, the sparkle in your child’s eyes when they discover something new, and the simple magic of being their safe place. These are the moments that remind us why the journey is worth every late night and early morning.
There’s joy in watching your children grow into themselves, in seeing the world through their eyes, and in knowing you play a part in shaping their story. These moments are priceless. They remind us that motherhood is not just about guiding and teaching, it’s about learning too. Our children often teach us more about patience, resilience, and unconditional love than we could ever imagine.
The struggles we so often don't mention...
But motherhood is also hard. It comes with struggles we don’t always share openly. There are days when exhaustion takes over, when you feel stretched too thin, when the mental load of motherhood feels heavy. There are moments of self-doubt; am I doing enough, am I doing it right, am I enough?
These struggles don’t take away from the beauty of motherhood they are simply part of the truth of it. And acknowledging them is so so important as it reminds us we are not alone. Every mother has days when she feels overwhelmed, uncertain, or lost. We have all been there, whether we say it out loud or not. And that doesn’t make you any less, it makes you human.
A little bit of everything...
Motherhood really is a paradox. It’s both the hardest and most rewarding role many of us will ever have. It’s the challenge of endless laundry, sleepless nights, and constant responsibility paired with the blessing of love so big it's hard to describe.
It’s the quiet sacrifices; your time, your energy, sometimes even your entire sense of self, paired with the priceless moments you wouldn’t trade for anything. It’s the push and pull of giving so much of yourself, while also learning how vital it is to hold on to who you are.
Self-care in the messy moments...
One truth I’ve learned in my motherhood journey is this...you cannot pour from an empty cup. To care for your children in the way you want to, you must also take care of yourself. We all lose it a little bit when we give, give and give more; and get very little back in return. And yet, self-care often feels like the first thing to go when life gets busy. We serve others before we even think of ourselves. But we need to look at it a little differently.
Self-care in motherhood doesn’t always mean spa days or long holidays; so often it just means the small things. Taking ten minutes to breathe and be still, untouched; reading a page of a book, going for a walk, asking for help when you need it most. It’s remembering that your needs matter too.
When you look after yourself; your heart, your mind, and your body, you are also looking after your family. You model to your children that taking care of yourself is important, that rest is essential, and that love starts from within.
The journey of motherhood...
Every stage of motherhood brings new lessons. The newborn days are all-consuming, the toddler years bring new challenges, the school years shift the balance, and as children grow older, so do we. Motherhood is not just their journey of growing up, it is our journey of growing too. Of becoming someone new whilst also holding on to the women inside in the mother.
It’s learning to let go, to trust, to adapt, to love deeper, than you ever thought possible. It’s a journey that changes you in ways you could never have imagined, and one that continues for a lifetime.
You are enough, just as you are...
In the midst of it all, the blessings and the struggles, remember this: you are enough. Your children don’t need a perfect mother. They need you. They look up to you like you are the one star shining brightest in the night sky. And that is exactly who you are.
You are their everything, even on your hardest days. Take time to remind yourself of this truth. You are doing an incredible job. Even on the days when you feel like you’ve fallen short, you are still showing up, loving, and trying. And that is everything.
An extension of words from my book Wildly Deserving and my Motherhood and Welcome to Motherhood prints.