It’s been a little while since I was last here. A few months ago I decided to have a break from blogging and take stock. In truth, the reality of covid life, sleeplessness, health issues, motherhood and lack of family support also finally got to me. It all just felt too much.
Each time I wrote a post I questioned whether I was just wasting my time or perhaps merely affording myself the opportunity for a self-indulgent ramble. I originally started this blog as a way of recording my experience of motherhood. It naturally evolved from there but then I began to lose my way and felt caught between babbling and what might actually be helpful to others. So I took a break to reassess.
Where I have landed is back at the start. I called this blog Love, Mum because I truly do love being a mum. Yes, it is the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. I am constantly exhausted, stretched and overwhelmed. Most days I feel underqualified for the task at hand and constantly worry that I am ruining my children’s lives. Yet, despite all the discomfort, I love my three children with an intensity that is indescribable and unexplainable. And I actually enjoy the things that many might see as mundane – the cooking, tidying, sewing, baking, crafts, teaching and learning (just not so much the cleaning!). It’s why I have chosen to be at home rather than pursue a career that is separate from family life.
Is there place for another “mum” blog?
Does the world need another mummy blogger? Maybe not. Is there room for more encouragement for parents? Always.
On reflection, the short of it is “Yes!’ I definitely want to continue blogging. But why? Firstly, I love writing and it’s great if someone occasionally reads my musings. More importantly, however, I truly believe the experience of motherhood is more manageable, enjoyable and fulfilling when it is shared with others.
The more I open up and talk about motherhood, the more I realise we all benefit from hearing someone say, “That is exactly how I feel!” or “I’ve been through that too’. A burden can often be lightened just by knowing someone else shares in your hardship or can perhaps show you a different way of doing things.
My hope is that you will be encouraged in your motherhood journey through words of shared experience. Perhaps some of what you read here might help you restore your joy for parenting at those times when – if you’re honest with yourself – you really don’t enjoy it at all.
The way community continues to change
Living far from family has taught me that parenting and family life are not easily sustainable when trying to do it alone. You need others to support you when you’re down and people to call when it all becomes too much. Our children also benefit hugely from having other people in their lives who they love and trust. Community is simply vital.
This said, the face of community life has changed extensively in the last year during the covid pandemic; it is barely recognisable from what we once accepted as the norm. We’ve learned how to connect when physical meetings are not an option. We’ve evolved to strengthen and maintain relationships through online platforms and other means of communication. Virtual birthday celebrations, lengthy voice messages, weekly family calls, online fitness platforms and Zoom school lessons are just some of the ways we have adapted. What initially felt like a temporary change to social life has actually taught us that, perhaps, different is not all bad.
There is nothing quite like physical gatherings with the ones we love. Yet, now we know we can still form connections in ways that seemed somewhat inauthentic in the past. This is why I believe sharing stories online still has a place. It can be a powerful tool for drawing likeminded individuals together and encouraging those who feel alone, misunderstood or isolated.
Blogging can be a lonely business
You spend hours formulating a post, editing and finding pictures. You hit publish and…nothing. A virtual tumbleweed blows across the screen. Your site stats increase but the comments never materialise. Was it even remotely helpful or a down-right waste of your time?
We’re all time poor. Couple that with information overload and the “swipe” culture created by social media, we often don’t stop to take in what we have read or seen. But for a blogger who is often exposing their vulnerabilities, the odd comment is an encouragement. It is also a way of sharing collective experience and engaging others who feel the same as you.
If you like what you read or you have an opinion, please feel free to say as much. Leave a comment, send me a message, share a post…just say hi! Let me know your struggles or your ideas so we can encourage one another along the way.
Family life continues to consume my every waking minute but when I carve out a spare moment here or there, I can’t wait to be back sharing the highs and lows with you.
Love,
Mum
