Hey there! I’m Mikala—a family doctor, wife, mother of 5, well-being advocate, and author of the books Ordinary on Purpose and Everything I Wish I Could Tell You About Midlife. Each month my writing reaches millions of women, but I am thrilled to be connecting with YOU. I’m truly grateful to have you here!
All in Motherhood
And because I love them SO MUCH, I try to make the best decisions I can which means…so often I say NO. I create boundaries and dole out chores and enforce consequences and follow through. What a Bad Guy!!
I try to be the one place in the whole world where my child doesn’t ever have to pretend. I try to be the safe, loving place he can softly sink into and feel seen. I try to be the person he can always, always come to…
I never imagined anything could fill my heart like chubby little cheeks and diapered little bottoms and drooly little smiles and teeny little feet covered in footed pajamas.
You gave your kids the most Magical Holiday Memories you possibly could…and the gift of an unstressed, present mom who enjoyed the moment.
For I know one day very soon, my teenager will be gone. And my baby will walk through the door a grown man. Still the love of my life. What a gift! I never knew this kind of LOVE existed.
Sometimes I stare across the room at him when he doesn’t know I’m watching and think, “When exactly did he GROW UP??”
I’m reminded why year after year we drag out the boxes and put out all the stuff and vacuum those little green artificial needles and dust the mantel (for once) and hang all their little stockings in a row.
I make the hard decisions. I follow through. And it sucks. They whine and complain and their faces turn into little scowls. They tell me it isn’t fair. Apparently, NO ONE ELSE has parents like this!!!
I never imagined I’d be a mom who yells sometimes. But I do. More than I care to admit. Oh, and my kids have seen me cry.
When Mom is overly tired and grumpy and stressed out and short-tempered… The kids are sure to be whiny and clingy and fussy and bickering and needy.
No one told me I’d want to fast-forward, pause, and rewind all within the span of about thirty minutes. It is all so hard. The good, the bad, the ordinary.
I’m just going to say it…
When it comes to my teenager, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING!!!
I thought I was only supposed to be HAPPY. So, whenever a different emotion came along, I did my best not to feel it.
Our lives are LIVED in the process. Day by day. Bit by bit. Word by word. Moment by moment. God is stitching and weaving and working it all together.
This season of babies and littleness is passing me right by. And even as my heart bursts with pride, I just feel…sad.
Morning Mom is patient and loving and kind and fun and efficient and sweet and exactly the kind of Mom I always hoped to be.
We have to parent the kids we HAVE…not the kids we imagined we’d have. Or the kids we’re trying to manipulate into superstars with our little ‘systems.’
