At one point I asked a complete stranger next to me to take a video of me singing karaoke to "Blow Me One Last Kiss" while P!nk was singing live in the background. It was only 30 seconds, but it was one of the funnest 30 seconds of my life! I got to sing with one of the greatest singers on the planet! You can see my pop singing debut below.
I had posted the video on Facebook and got some funny comments. One of the most interesting comments I heard was "You're so crazy. Good for you for keeping your identity. You look like you had a lot of fun." This statement, said partially in jest, has really stuck with me. Obviously, because I'm writing about it almost 4 months after it was said!
The more I focused on "good for you for keeping your identity" the more I started to pay attention to other mother's, more so than usual. What I came to realize is that many mothers, and actually parents in general, tend to get so wrapped up in their kids that they forget how to live outside of their children. Now, I'm not talking about having social lives, because I certainly don't have much of one anymore lol. However, I think some people develop a habit of pushing down their own hobbies and passions for a variety of child based reasons. Whether it be out of guilt, wavered time management, or pure self neglect.
It's not necessarily a bad thing that this self neglect happens. I think in some ways it can be admirable. How can you complain about someone putting every ounce of themselves into making sure they are raising their child in the best way they know how? But, what I think so many of us tend to forget is that before we bring little human beings into the world, there are many years put into shaping who WE are as a person. It is this foundation that we build within ourselves that begins to develop who we will be/are as parents. Just like a willow tree (my FAVORITE bit of nature), in order to keep the roots strong and continue the growth, you must continue to nurture it. Part of this nurturing is of course the growth as a parent (reading books/articles, play dates, vicarious or first hand experience) but I think just as important is the nurturing of our own souls. Being able to incorporate both of these aspects is even better! For example, it would have been AMAZING if I could have brought Delilah to that morning concert with me. But with there only being standing room, no strollers allowed, no public bathrooms (a.k.a. changing areas), and having to be there for 3 hours before P!nk would actually perform, I didn't think it was the best situation for a 5 month old.
I write this entry to other parents, but also to my future self. I know that life is crazy and not always easy. It has already been very challenging, but I hope that I can continue to make that commitment to myself to do things that are fun, participate in things that I am passionate about, in the hopes that it will continue my personal growth and equip me to be a better, stronger woman and mother. I also hope these actions will encourage Delilah to see that no matter how crazy life can get, there is always time for ourselves. I just can't wait until I can take her to a P!nk concert with me and maybe, some day, she'll take me along to share in one of her passions.
