From mom, with love.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we’re excited to share the voices of moms who are shining a light on the path. From raising mindful kids, to the link between motherhood and entrepreneurship, to juggling safety and independence in a modern world.

By day, I’m a mom of 3 juggling virtual schooling, DIY projects on our newly built home to customize it into what we want; one room at a time. You can find me shuttling everyone around to appointments and overall trying to maintain a sense of normalcy through the chaos happening in the world all around us.

At night I change out of my paint stained clothing, hop into bed by 7pm only to wake up from an alarm sounding at 1030pm telling me that it’s time to get ready for work. As a night shift nurse, I’m knee deep in the pandemic drama and my number one priority is making sure that my family is safe throughout this whole ordeal.

My husband and I ultimately chose to maintain social distancing from day one, knowing that the likelihood of me coming in contact with people positive with the virus would be high. We have had little to no contact with family and friends in almost a year. We teach our children the importance of following this approach because I have seen first hand what happens when people have let down their guard. We mask up when we venture out, wash our hands frequently and keep a safe distance. Our kids know that this isn’t a scare tactic or meant to cause fear. We choose safety as a priority.

I enjoy being a nurse, but my passion and creative outlet is letting people peek into our everyday lives. We love creating beautiful spaces in our home. Taking blank canvases and turning them into picturesque areas that we get to enjoy daily. I show real life everyday moments as an exhausted mom who gets little sleep, take part in self-care Sundays with my community and even chat about finances and how my husband and I crawled out of debt as a couple.

My children are my priority, but being a mother and even a nurse doesn’t mean that I have to give up on what I feel most drawn to be doing. It’s all about balance. Some days feel engulfed in 2nd, 4th and 8th grade learning. I barely feel like I have a moment to myself and sometimes step out on the front porch to escape, if only to take a few breaths of fresh air. Other days I put my priorities, wants and goals to the forefront. I set aside time for projects, taking pictures, writing etc. It makes me feel whole again when I’m doing what I love. When I prioritize work and children over myself all the time, I become overwhelmed with everyday life. That’s when I know that I need to take time for me!

Don’t lose yourself in motherhood. Instead, find the person you were before kids. The girl who had big dreams and aspirations. Work on ways to bring out the best in her now! Make those goals a priority in your life.

As you know, the seasons are short. One day the kids will be gone, the house will be quiet and you will be left wondering why you waited so long to start living.