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The Nurtured Mommy
SO DO YOU
By: Denise E. Bailey | October 4, 2023
I bet that you imagined the life you are living, minus a few loads of laundry. And if you didn’t, guess what, you still get to create it. The very definition of imagination is the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful. It doesn’t just have to be for a child to play dress up. You have the power to imagine or, like we like to say as adults, manifest. So what are you imagining right now?
I love to use my birthday as a time to check internally with myself. I try my best to set my intentions on a yearly, monthly, and even weekly basis. But in reviewing my past goals and accomplishments, I recently realized that I was missing the joy and presence of celebrating them. Days, years, and sometimes decades are spent on them, and I don’t even take a moment to celebrate or relish them. Truth is, I am living the life that I worked so hard to create.
So, this year for my 43rd birthday I decided to focus only on being more present. Engaging in the bedtime book, savoring a cup of coffee, working from home, and listening to the washing machine… you get it. For the first time in my life I wake up by myself at 6am and spend ten minutes in a daily ritual of journaling and listening through a program I love called Silk+Sonder. It has only been a few weeks of this newly formed habit, and I can already feel the space that’s being created inside. My thoughts are slowing down. I am finding peace, and I am so grateful.
Our girls just started Kindergarten and Second grade. I mentioned a couple of months ago that 2023 has been the fastest year of my life. I know we are all in a special time in our lives with younger or elementary school-aged children. We have our partners, careers, children, and hopefully our health. And there are so many distractions out there that take us away from realizing that we have what we imagined; at least I do. It has come with a tremendous amount of work, self-reflection, and failure. Some lessons keep repeating because I obviously haven’t learned them yet, but overall I guess I am doing pretty good… and so are you.
Denise is a coffee lover, over-sharer, and truth seeker who is dedicated to vulnerably discussing the not so pretty parts of this amazing role. She is inspired by her three daughters to help women manage their expectations, let go of perfectionism, and lean into their enoughness. Denise is working on becoming a published author while simultaneously trying to figure out how to truly nurture herself in the midst of motherhood and beyond.
Read more on her Instagram @thenurturedmommy
More from this issue:
Championing Imagination in Our Children’s Lives and Our Own HERE >>
From Homeless to Homeward Bound of Marin HERE >>
How to Choose a Preschool: A Complete Guide HERE >>
My Inner Anauraliac HERE >>
October is for ADHD! HERE >>
So Do You HERE >>
The Power of an Early Start HERE >>