Identity Rooted In Places Unseen

Identity Rooted In Places Unseen

Poem By: Itoro E. Udofia

SINGLE. And waiting to be chosen. Preparing for marriage. Yielding to purpose. Navigating career. Gaining strength from knowing self. Looking deep and standing firm. Drawing close and seeing far. Moving in truth. Identity rooted in places unseen.

MARRIED.  And wondering about when. Preparing for future children. Two lives becoming one. Building up and stretching wide. Making room and holding on. Creating home from values shared. Love on display.  Identity rooted in places unseen.

PREGNANT. And welcoming the unknown. Preparing for the role of mother. Holding space and keeping heart. Dreams awakened. Wisdom imparted. Shape the soul of future generations. Embracing community. Identity rooted in places unseen.

A House Is Made

A house is made with walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Storytelling To Capture A Spiritual Legacy

Make monuments in your life. In the old testament people were told to build monuments as reminders of a certain experience. This was done to capture a moment in time. Others after them, were dependent on these stories.

Who will be depending on you? We walk through life and collect experiences. Are we aware of how much these experiences matter? Seek out the opportunities around you. There is treasure there. Look for it.

Some things to think about while uncovering the monuments in your life…

What is the story?

Reflect on how you are framing things for others and yourself.

Who does the story point to?

Focus on God, His characteristics or kingdom principles that can be highlighted.

How can the story live on?

Write it down. Keep the story before you and choose to inspire others by giving it a voice.

MOTHER MAYBE - A Space For Single And Married Women Without Children

A place exists for those women who enter the role of motherhood. Community with arms open to receive another who has been chosen to carry life. The transition from navigating the path of one with specific ambitions and dreams is interrupted with the opportunity to change course, to accommodate another. This experience is often welcomed by women who hold the ability to shape and nurture those in their care.

What some consider common, the becoming of a mother is much more layered and involved. The intricacies of starting a family are numerous. The woman who begins this journey has great influence. There is beauty in becoming whole. In knowing how to prepare yourself for what’s to come. To surrender and yield to the unknown.

Far too long the season of motherhood has been simplified to embrace those with child. Questions surround those in waiting. The when’s and how’s and why’s. Some questions go unanswered. Many answers require time to unfold.

Single and married women without children, a new space has been created just for you.

MOTHER MAYBE. This is your community.

Many choices remain on the horizon. Each woman must decide for herself. What will you choose?

You Must Do The Thing You Think You Cannot Do

Do You See Her? Why Some Women Were Emotional On Mother’s Day

May is the month for global maternal mental health awareness.  It’s also the month many celebrate Mother’s Day. Some women were emotional while receiving gifts and being honored, not because they appreciate the recognition from others for doing a job well done, but rather they have deep insecurities, shame and guilt about how they feel they are performing in their role as a mother.  

Do you see her? Behind the smile and laughter is a woman who longs to be understood and heard.

Someone who wonders if the decisions made about balancing career and family are commendable. A person who questions if she’s good enough. A woman who has only so much to give and fears that she is losing herself in the process.

To those women transitioning and embracing the complexities of joy and pain, and the tension between highs and lows. To the one who sees black and grey while longing for hues of orange and yellow. Know this. Others before you have made it to the other side, they can take a step back and gaze at the artistry of a life transformed by the life another.

You are seen. You are heard.  Walk your path and embrace your journey.

God is with you now and always.

Why, my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.- Psalms 42: 11

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41: 10

Note: For those who want more information on baby blues, postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety or other maternal mental health topics here are a few places to start.

Postpartum Support International (PSI) www.postpartum.net

Maternal Mental Health NOW www.maternalmentalhealthnow.org

Disclaimer: The above organizations are listed as a source of general information about maternal mental health and are not endorsed by Mother Maybe & Co.

Finding A Road Map To Community

Human connection is a basic need. Many women build networks to advance their career. Universities offer guidelines for professional development and pathways to success. Shared experiences are necessary. Research over the years has produced time frames for when a child should crawl, walk, and talk. These developmental milestones are known and familiar.

Expectations offer structure and a point of reference. There is safety here. So, where is the road map to the place of belonging? Community. All of us need it, mothers especially.

The relational connections that surround us, will be a well to draw from in times of need. A common misconception when building community is that similarities prevail. On the contrary, diverse experiences offer a richness worth discovering.

While reflecting on the depth and quality of relationships many ask the question, “Can I trust them with my life?” Perhaps the question should be, “Can I entrust their life to my child?”

For community, there doesn’t seem to be a road map, just moments of faith expressed in time. People learning, growing and connecting. Embracing the simplicity of what it means to be human and fully alive.