Recently I was talking to a friend that I’ve known for over a year now, and she suggested that I share with this community a little bit more about why I founded Richmond Moms Blog.
I’m a naturally optimistic person. Those of you that have been part of this community over the last two years have probably seen me smiling and sharing part of my current motherhood journey. These days lots of laughter, a good dose of daily frustration, and just the right amount plain old fun fill my story of motherhood.
Of course, that hasn’t always been the case. My arrival into the motherhood tribe was quite bumpy and not at all what I had expected.
First of all, after years of wreaking havoc on my body through my battle with anorexia and bulimia, my doctors told me it was likely I would struggle to conceive. Imagine my surprise when just two months after our honeymoon I became pregnant. Ten years later, I have the perspective to realize what an incredible miracle and blessing this was.
But to tell you the truth, at the time it happened I was shocked and even a little angry.
Eating disorders are a mental illness most frequently linked to the need for control and/or intense perfectionism. My need for control has always been insanely high. Suddenly my entire life and body felt out of my control. Add to that leaving my hometown and all the friends and family that had been part of my life forever when I was six months pregnant, and you’ve got a recipe for trouble.
Even though I delivered a happy, healthy baby boy and our newlywed life turned into family life, I struggled silently with postpartum anxiety and depression.
Frankly, the first two years of my motherhood experience felt like a failure in my book.
For so long, I felt alone and lonely, even though I longed to be part of this legendary village I had heard about. A tribe of women raising babies and traversing the journey of motherhood together. But for some reason, I was always sitting down in the valley looking up at those women on the mountain dancing and laughing together…
…until the day I decided to let down my guard and started sharing my story with other women who wanted to invite me into their circle. Slowly but surely, these women made me feel safe. They took away the shame I felt at being such an imperfect mother. They laughed with me; they cried with me; they held my babies and they held my hands. I finally had a tribe.
By sharing their own stories of struggle in love and support, these moms revealed to me that no mother ever feels like she has it all together. We all struggle to be seen and heard and to see and hear each other.
When I moved here almost two years ago, I knew that I wanted to help the next mother whose journey into motherhood was not going as she’d hoped to feel less alone. I want to be someone’s village…I want to be part of your village. I hope you find connection through the real voices of Richmond moms here on Richmond Moms Blog. Come be my tribe.
