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!
I’m just going to say it…
When it comes to my teenager, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING!!!
Forty and loved and chubby and happy and worthy and graying and strong and just…HERE. Doing my imperfect best every single day.
I thought I was only supposed to be HAPPY. So, whenever a different emotion came along, I did my best not to feel it.
Real Life won’t start once the kids are all potty-trained or you finally lose those last ten pounds or tick a few things off your bucket list.
So often I get exactly what I want only to change my mind about what I want or wonder ‘What’s next??’
Every time we’ve made a big decision…a decision that means CHANGE…someone is left unhappy. Annoyed. Disappointed. Let down. Angry.
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.
You are a terrible mother. I can’t believe you lost your temper again. Why can’t you learn to control yourself?
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.
God, soften their hearts. God, fill all the holes. God, lead them and guide them and hold them every single moment of every single day of their lives.
Day after day, month after month, year after year…laugh lines appearing like rings around the trunk of a tree. If you count them, I bet there’s 40.
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.’
Because I promise, sweetheart, I promise no matter how old you get or how big you grow… You’ll always, Always, ALWAYS be my baby.
I don’t drink because alcohol and drugs nearly killed my husband. It nearly broke EVERYTHING I had. My marriage. My family. My beautiful future.
I want my son to really SEE people. I want him to really LOVE people. I want him to listen and learn from every person’s beautiful story.
I mean, really…isn’t it lovely to know a person from his very first breath and watch him become a confident young man right before your very eyes???
I don’t need recognition or praise from the World…because He says I am enough.
So many opinions and studies and best practices and guidelines and anecdotal evidence and studies and celebrity endorsements…everywhere we turn we are inundated with how to do life RIGHT!!!
