Dear Mama,

When I was younger I was convinced that I was the coolest kid around. I wasn’t typical in anyway for growing up where I did, especially as a young black girl. I collected Marvel comic books, loved to dance, could quote lyrics from Tupac to Shania Twain, if I continue you will probably only think - wow she was odd (you wouldn’t be wrong though). There was so much about me (and still is) that wouldn’t be expected from my peers. There was a mould and I didn’t quite fit it and that was okay.

Fast forward to high school, I had friends from almost every table in the cafeteria scene from Mean Girls (if you are a true fan you will click that link lol) anyhow. The point is I hated the idea of just being boxed in, I didn’t want to sit at just one table, I wanted to make my rounds, talk to a variety of people. In high school it worked out great for me because I was able to enjoy myself at the school dance, make sure I didn’t have a hideous picture in your yearbook, play on teams and also cheer from the sidelines when I knew my gift wasn’t in basketball, be in the school play and make it to class late- everyday when I lived 9 mins away (walking). I got to be unapologetically  me- and now being a mother I want the same.

There are different types of mothers, different styles, different techniques, just plain different. It would be a shame to think that if we don’t have the same style as another we feel like we aren’t really a mother, or don’t fit in. One thing I have learned through out my life is that there is plenty of room at the Mom table! 

So here is my open letter to the mamas..

Dear Mama,

I know the media plays with your mind, altering your perception of “a good mother”. Flooding your screen with the mother who wears heels as she prepares dinner, or the mother who only wears her hair in a bun all day but is looked down upon, but don’t be fooled. You are called to be a mother and that is exactly what you are. You don’t always have it together and you don’t have to. Dinner is sometimes late, or in a pizza box and that’s okay too. The laundry is piling up and you are considering just buying new clothes all together- don’t, just get the laundry done but take your time. You don’t have to provide your child with the latest to be the greatest. Your blender is working, don’t worry about the Baby Bullet. Knowing the latest Sesame Street song doesn’t mean you’re going overboard, it means your love for your child has its way of getting all over, changing your previous norms and giving you new ones. Motherhood looks good on you even when you feel like everything is crashing down, when you miss the time you used to have for yourself, when your nail polish is chipping and your jeans are washed out, just know that you are wonderful, you are appreciated- continue to work your magic.