Thursday, August 22, 2013

One Word

I wasn't myself when I looked in the mirror.  The person looking back at me seemed like a stranger.  She was almost unrecognizable.  It had been a little over nine months since I had seen the person I was I was trying to find in that mirror.  No matter how hard I looked, she simply wasn't there.

The person I did see was fatter and flabbier than I remembered.  She looked tired and her eyes were droopy.  Her hair was a mess and she hadn't worn make-up in days.  Her clothes were strangely too big and too small all at the same time.  In addition to all of that, there was something attached to her; something that seemed almost part of her.  I watched this stranger in the mirror as she held this new thing carefully and awkwardly.  She seemed acutely aware of it's every breath.

Slowly, I came to realize that the stranger in the mirror was me and that "something attached" was a baby -  my first daughter.  I had read all the books and thought I was ready.  I quickly realized that no book could prepare me for the transformation that was happening.  The fact was, I wasn't my old self at all anymore and I never would be again.

I was a new and different version of myself.  I wasn't just Lisa anymore.  I was no longer just a wife, daughter, sister, teacher.  Now, I was a mother.

As a writer, I know about the power of words.  I have read words that made me angry and words that made me cry and words that made me feel joy deep down in my soul.  I never realized, though,  until then how powerful one single word could be.

Mother.

That word changed everything.

Mother.

It changed my priorities and responsibilities.  It certainly changed my schedule.  It changed my relationships.  It changed my body.  It changed my future.  It changed every aspect of my existence.

My life wasn't just mine anymore.  It was hers.  She was my daughter.  I was her mother.  

That baby turned eleven a few weeks ago and there are two more now as well.  The person I was looking for in the mirror that day when she first came home is now distant memory.  When I look in the mirror today, I see someone who is still a little tired and maybe not as slender as I might like.  But, I also see a woman who is stronger than my old self ever knew I could be.  I see a woman who is prouder of my family than my old self would have ever dreamed possible.  I see a woman who is more like my mom than old self would have believed.

When I look in the mirror, I'm not my old self anymore and that's okay.  I've changed and grown in ways the old me could never have imagined.

I'm not my old self.  I'm different.  I'm better.  I'm a mom.

 
Finish the Sentence Friday


This post was written as part of Finish The Sentence Friday which is hosted by the following bloggers.  Please give them a visit and see all the other blogs that participate as well!

Stephanie at Mommy, for Real

43 comments:

Janine Huldie said...

Lisa, I loved this and will say motherhood does change us, but love how you put it so beautifully and seriously couldn't agree with you more here. Thank you for sharing and linking up with us again!! :)

Jean said...

This was great!

Erica Jensen said...

Awesome post! I remember that moment of looking in the mirror and feeling like I didn't recognize my reflection.

Kristi - Finding Ninee said...

Aw, Lisa, this was so spot-on. Motherhood does change us and the stuff that used to be what mattered doesn't matter in the same way it used to be. Because motherhood does change our very selves and existences and well. Us-ness. perfect.

Stephanie Sprenger said...

Oh, that was beautiful Lisa! I loved it. And I could totally picture you while I was reading it! (In a not creepy way, of course...) I can't believe your baby is 11! I am all weepy that mine turns 7 this weekend...

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thank you so much Janine!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks Jean!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thank you Erica!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thank you so much Kristi!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks, Stephanie! (11 made me a little weepy too!)

Sarah @ LeftBrainBuddha said...

Lisa this is beautiful. The transition to motherhood is so amazing and terrifying all at once. You've actually put me at a loss for words! :)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Wow! That's a pretty high compliment, Sarah! Thank you!

Kenya G. Johnson said...

Awwww, I love this post Lisa. I can totally relate. Side note: Any time I have lost weight or have been looking especially ratty and fix myself up, I'll look in the mirror and say, "There she is." I still like to get a glimpse of the before me from time to time.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thank you, Kenya!

Jessica Smock said...

I struggle with not feeling like my "old self" sometimes. There are parts of it that miss. I don't pay much attention to my appearance anymore (not that I did much before). I do look older and more "mom"-like since having a baby. And sometimes when I look in the mirror, I do think about how much I've changed physically, as well as emotionally, since having my son.

Karen said...

LOVE this post and just texted to my friend who had a daughter just two weeks ago...poor thing is having a rough time with a colic baby.



I don't feel like myself either, I am changed, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I different, but better.

Tamara Bowman said...

So beautiful. I remember staring at the mirror at all hours when I was pregnant with my first. I would wake up at 3:00 am and just gaze in the mirror and see if I looked different. I did. I do. And I love being a mother.

surprise mama said...

Amazing!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

It definitely changes us in many, many ways!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

yep - different, but better! :-)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

When I was pregnant, I was huge and miserable. I had unrealistic expectations for how quickly my body and my life would get "back to normal" once she was born. I soon realized my new "normal" was something entirely different. I love being a mother, too!

JDaniel4's Mom said...

This is wonderful! I love having my son call for me! There is something wonderful about hearing him call me mom!

Dana said...

You just gave me chills. In a good way, because I feel exactly the same way. How did decipher the mess in my head and describe it so eloquently??

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Hearing "Mommy" can be annoying :-) but it is also a beautiful sound!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks Dana!

Rachel @TaoOfPoop said...

Oh, what a beauty you have written, Lisa! You have managed to find the perfect words to describe what every mother feels.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thank you, Rachel! Today's FTSF is chock full of some awesome stuff - including your post!

Elizabeth said...

This is fantastic! I think every mom can relate. I am struggling with this new identity still, and my kids are 1 and 3. I'm still trying to figure out who that person is in the mirror, both physically and psychologically. I didn't slip into this role of mother as well as I thought I would and I'm still trying to iron it all out. Thanks for this post. It helps me to realize I'm not alone in the struggle. I'm not the only one.

The Dose of Reality said...

Amazing in every way. It is everything. I love exactly how you captured what this word means and feels like.-Ashley

Considerer said...

It really does change everything. You're quite right. I reckon I might need to re-post one I did elsewhere on this...it's an important change to be noted.

This Mom said...

So true! Every day we become better and stronger versions of ourselves because of our children.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks Elizabeth! I'm so glad it helped you!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thank you Ashley!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

It is a most important change, Lizzi! I would love to read your post on it! :-)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes! Thanks!

KatiaDBE said...

Beautifully put, Lisa! I know that feeling you describe so well of looking for someone else in the mirror and being slightly surprised not to find them but instead to see that person with clothes "too big and small at the same time". Great post!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thank you Katia!

Jessica Cavalier said...

Yes, That word has changed every part of my life. Transformative.
Loved this post!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Very transformative! Thanks, Jessica!

Robin Kramer | Pink Dryer Lint said...

Beautiful post, Lisa. I love how "mother" is both a noun and a verb -- such a powerful word in both forms, and such a lovely blog post!

Amber Day Hicks said...

What a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing with the #LOBS!

TheMissusV said...

I love this! Motherhood has changed me in so many ways that I could have never imagined too! I know that I'm stronger and better as a person. And with more drive to succeed in life!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Absolutely! I don't think anyone an really know how much it will change you - for better to for worse - until you have experienced it.

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