Recently I have found myself thinking a lot about life's transitions. And how most of them seamlessly happen because of your age from the day we are born. Every child transitions through the different levels of schools. We mostly all become adults at the same time, either going off to college or starting our careers. We spend most of our lives changing directions and evolving based on our age and what society has laid out for us. Everything is very regimented. Sure, we have some choice, but for the most part, ‘this is what happens at this age’. At 14 you go to high school. At 16 you can drive. At 18 you can vote. At 21 you can drink alcohol. At 65 you retire.
Maybe this is why deciding to have a baby is such a big life decision. There is no age that society tells us is the 'right age to become a mom'. It’s something we have to decide for ourselves. We have to be ok saying, ‘I've lived my life this way for X amount of years, now I am ready to change that completely and start living it a new way.’ Like, what?!
And on top of that, deciding to do it as a single woman makes it even bigger. You are choosing to change your life in a substantial, and untraditional way. You are evolving into a new, stronger, version of yourself. It's you, but the 2.0 version. You will feel grief leaving the woman you were behind, but in exchange you will find a better sense of self once you become a mother.
So here is to recognizing that you are leaving behind a version of yourself that existed for a long time. She lived a life that was full of adventure, spontaneous travel, late nights with friends, and wild dating stories.
It's ok to grieve those parts of your life, they are what made you YOU thus far. But when you become a mom you will be gaining so much more. Your heart will feel full everyday, you will see all of the possibilities of the world through your child's eyes, there will be belly laughs and snuggles, and you will wonder why you waited so long to become a mother.
0 comments