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Motherhood is one of the most rewarding callings. I mean, there is nothing as humbling and satisfying as being somebody’s mother. But rewarding as it may be, truth be told, it has a flip side.
When you get a child, somehow — if you don’t take care — your life stops completely, you lose your identity and it’s no longer you but the child.
That’s why you lose your name and acquire the title Mama so and so. When I gave birth to my daughter, I was so immersed in taking care of her endless needs, I forgot me.
I embraced the title Mama Tasha and my name disappeared. As Mama Tasha, I was so busy taking care of baby’s needs I even forgot I have an identity that I needed to maintain.
I had no life, everything revolved around baby and work. But a good friend jolted me back to life and challenged me to embrace motherhood and career in a way that does not swallow my identity.
Lost Identity
The first step towards my restoration was reclaiming my name. Yes being called Mama so and so is laced in respect, but at the same time it makes you lose your true self. So henceforth, I started requesting everybody from my husband to my friends and relatives to kindly call me by my name. When someone called me Mama Tasha, I would politely request them to just refer to me by my name.
The second step towards my restoration was to go back to my hobby, which is salsa dancing. You see, before I became Mama Tasha, I used to love going for salsa every week as it was therapeutic and refreshing. But once I became a mother, I abandoned this hobby as I took on the role of being mommy and wifey. But tricky as it maybe, I always create time out of my crazy and demanding schedule of being a career woman and mom – to go to a salsa class.
Having rediscovered myself has allowed me to take good care of me and to love me first before I can spread my love to my family.
Now that I have reclaimed my lost identity, I feel more confident as a career woman and I satisfied as a mother. Are you feeling lost in motherhood? It’s time to find the girl in you like I did.
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