New babies come with gifts.
That’s what my mom always says.
My daughter Dora was born just over three years ago – three spectacularly life-changing years. Soon after she was born, I realized that I didn’t have it in me to be a stay at home mom. I missed work too much, too soon. But I also knew that I would never again work for work’s sake; that time away from my daughter had to be worth it like never before; that it was time to use my privilege to forge a better world for her.
Being a mom is challenging, guilt ridden, frustrating, and exhausting. It feels like you’re always screwing something up. Like you’re not doing enough. Like YOU are not enough. It’s so hard to see the flipside – that your body is miraculous, your heart can expand infinitely, your senses become sharper and that much more focused. There is incredible power that comes with motherhood.
Your first child makes you a mom. But they also make you a superhero.
Three years ago Dora made me less selfish and more empathetic, less wasteful and more efficient, less entitled and more grateful. She made me a more responsible world citizen. She inspired me to get past my fears and insecurities, to dream big and take risks – because that’s what I want her to do when she grows up. In the three years since she was born I have grown more than I could ever have hoped, and achieved more impact than I could ever have imagined.
Last month, I gave birth to my second daughter, Ruth. She’s brought cuddles and that new baby smell to our home once again. Despite the exhaustion, pain, added challenges and costs, Ruth has also brought me the gift of renewed inspiration, and a deeper commitment than ever before to creating the world that I want her and Dora to live in. I’m so excited. Here we go again.
