You were you, first.⁣ ⁣

Before marriage or commitment, before kids, you were you, first. ⁣ ⁣

As hard as it is sometimes to remember, you once only had yourself to worry about. Your needs, your wants, your hopes, your dreams, your worries. You didn’t even think twice about doing the things that made you happy. You sipped hot coffee, sat down and read an entire book in one sitting or binged your favorite show, you leisurely strolled through Target just because, and slept in until you felt like waking up. You painted and crafted, you let the sun soak into your skin on the beach, and went to the gym for hours releasing all of your frustration from the week. You cooked gourmet meals, and went out dancing all night until your feet hurt so bad you had to carry your shoes home. You traveled and saw the world.⁣ ⁣

You were you, first.⁣ ⁣

Once you become a mom, you tend to lose this previous version of yourself. It happens naturally, and it’s not intentional. You now have tiny humans who depend on you for their every want, need, hope, dream and worry. Their lives instantly become more important than yours, as they should be. Tiny pieces of yourself begin to shake loose and become absorbed within your role as a mother. Of course you love your children fiercely and deeply. You embrace motherhood wholeheartedly, but you also need to remember who you were before them. You can’t lose those pieces completely, because you need them. In order to be the best version of yourself for your partner, for your babies, you need them. When you’ve reached your breaking point, when you are so exhausted that you feel it in your bones, when you feel like you’re not good enough, and when you feel like you’re lost or can’t breathe, you need them. You don’t need to feel guilty, and you don’t need to feel bad putting time aside for self care. You will be healthier. You will be stronger, and you will be the best version of yourself for your family. ⁣ ⁣

Don’t stop doing the things that make you happy just because you’re a mom. Read the book, go for a run, go see the movie, paint and craft, write, drink the hot coffee, take the trip, stroll through Target, dance it out, sleep in, laugh with your girls, and lay on the beach.

You were you, first.