How are you showing up for the Mamas?

​No matter your profession, stay at home mom, background, mother of one or mother of ten, how are you encouraging the OTHER mamas of the world?
 
Not long into my journey of motherhood I quickly realized that this gig is the most exhausting and challenging thing I will ever do in my life. Two kids of my own and seven-plus years later there has not been a day that went by that I’ve said to myself, Wow! I received too much support and encouragement today. Does this sound familiar to you? Why are we so quick to judge and so stingy with our kindness? Why is motherhood so polarizing? At the end of the day we are all just women doing the best we can with this lifetime assignment.
 
Newsflash: there is no one-size-fits-all absolute right way to do motherhood. Are you tempted to judge another mom? Before you do, remind yourself: She has a different support system than you do. She has a different skillset and strengths than you do. She had a different childhood than you did. Until you’ve walked in her shoes and know exactly what she’s going through, you really have no place to judge. And do you know what would be the best for her? Kindness. Support. If you really want to share something with her, do so from a place of kindness and compassion instead of judgement, it will come across completely different and therefore be received much differently.
 
If you are privileged enough to be in a position of support or leadership to other mamas, how are you encouraging their wellbeing? How are you showing up for them in a non-judgmental way? Being in your position, there shouldn’t be a day that goes by that you don’t acknowledge and recognize that to be in your role is a gift. You are building up the women that are raising the next generation of our world.
 
If you see something that doesn’t sit well with you or perhaps induces a strong reaction in you, instead of getting mad or hostile, get curious. The world needs you to be helpful, not judgmental. I’m not at all encouraging everyone to go out and start giving a bunch of unsolicited advice, but if you TRULY want to be helpful and are passionate about increasing awareness around certain parenting topics, opportunities will present themselves. Maybe that means starting a book club or volunteering with an organization that shares your same values.
 
We owe it to our children, significant others, our sisters, friends, cousins, our loved ones, to stop contributing to society that disconnects mothers and families. Imagine what the future could hold for our children if we all got intentional about planting seeds of connection and kindness today.