Being a mom, having a great mom, or grieving the lack of a great mom, have been important parts of all our BRANDED employees’ lives. Most of the survivor artisans we’ve had the privilege to work with are mothers themselves. Some became moms at very young ages. Some became moms against their will. Some did not think they were ready to be moms. Some doubted that they would have what it takes to raise children since they didn’t have a good parent role model to follow.
Whatever our pasts with mothers, one thing we have all in common is our LOVE for our kids. We would do dang near anything for them! For some of us, they are the joy and laughter we find throughout the day. For others, they are the reason we keep going, keep taking that next step in recovery, keep pushing through the really hard stuff day by day.
Our BRANDED team includes five women, four of whom are mothers and one who is a SuperAunt! Below you’ll find a little snippet from each of our team members about what it means to us to be mothers. We hope you enjoy a small peek into our lives and what motherhood has meant to each of us.
PB (mom of a bright and sweet 10-year-old)
On the Best Part of Being a Mom: Getting to snuggle up with my son, no matter how old he is! And writing our “book of life” together a little bit a time so that when he is older I can give it to him as either a graduation present or a wedding present.
On Motherhood: I was blessed and given a gift by God of a son that I get to teach and guide and mold into a great human being. As a mom who has struggled through a family that has very twisted values, I get to be the end to those twisted values. That starts with teaching my son how to be a good person, a good man and a gentleman with good values that respects women. I want him to be a genuinely nice and kind person to everyone he meets.
Emily (mom of one insanely cute 10-month old)
On the Best Part of Being a Mom: The laundry list of things I love most about being a mama is Dickensian in length. For today, I will say that one of the things I am loving most is cuddle-fests on the bed. Every evening before bed my husband and I will curl up on our bed with Penny Lee and read books. She is only 10 months old so mostly we flip pages and watch her try to eat them. It is such a sweet time of watching the curiosity in her face, followed by sleepy yawns and then eventually her laying that precious noggin on one of our laps as if to say, “Okay, time for bed.” I love our cuddle time. I love watching her explore picture books and make discoveries. I love those big blue eyes staring up at me accompanied by a very proud grin, as if to say, “Oh wow, did you see what I just found?!”
On Motherhood: Being a mom means reminding my sweet girl and myself that no matter what, we are BELOVED. No matter how tired we are, no matter how silly, no matter how impatient or cranky or scared or whatever… we are Beloved. I am learning that if I want to tell my little girl she is beloved, I must first believe that of myself, of the little girl I used to be. In a quote, I am trying to live this Henry Nouwen quote with each new day I am a mama: “All I want to say to you is this, ‘You are the Beloved’. And all I hope is that you can hear these words as spoken to you with all the tenderness and force that love can hold. My only desire is to make these words reverberate in every core of your being - ‘You are the Beloved’.”
Laurel (daughter to an amazing mom aunt to one precocious nephew)
On What She Loves About Her Mom: The thing I love most about my mom is her dedication to her kids. She has spent her whole life making sure that her kids and grandkid have everything they need. Her steadfast love and support is inspiring to me!
On Being an Aunt: I get the privilege of being a SuperAunt to my amazing nephew. He is creative and smart and really, really funny! He makes my life a true adventure!
Lauren (mom of a busy two-year-old)
On the Best Part of Being a Mom: I can honestly say that it’s my absolute JOY to be Holland's mother. My daughter has soooo much energy, she’s funny, smart and brave! She teaches me to slow down, to look for the beauty in nature, to have fun and just be plain silly. Last night she noticed a caterpillar slowly inching across our driveway. We watched intently, cheering him along until the caterpillar safely crossed the pavement. As I was tucking Holland in for bed, she started reviewing her day: “I went outside… I dressed up like Elsa… I watched a CATERPILLAR!” It’s moments like those that I want to bottle up and keep forever.
On Motherhood: The day I became a mom changed me forever. Being a mom is the best, most fun, most challenging experience I’ve known. Holland is a little ball of energy. She learns new things at an astonishing rate and honestly has a better memory than me. Being a mom to her makes me want to be better, to set a good example for her, to let her know how very LOVED she is! I always want her to know that she is seen and heard, and she is worthy of so very much love.
CC (mom of five, grandmom of three!!)
On the Best Part of Being a Mom: The best part of being a mother is that it’s something I can never give up on. Even when times get hard, I have to adjust my crown and say, “I got this!”
On Motherhood: I have five lives God entrusted me with, five little mini-me’s.
Whatever I did wrong in life, I got five extra chances to get something right and I live on through them. I see that small child, that teenager, and that grown woman in them every day. They are my reasons to keep going on and to keep fighting.
Happy Mother’s Day, dear Collective. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for how you love!
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