Humans of Motherhood | Seeing Our Mothers as People | Motherhood Unplugged

Growing up it is very easy for a child to simply see their parent in one role or capacity. You can even categorize them into being one type of person or another based on your childhood experiences. My mother was a vibrant woman enthusiastic about traveling and adventure when she was young. I didn't even learn about her former employment as an airline flight attendant until I was an adult. The mother I remember from my childhood was a stay at home parent who seemingly did her best to in her daily life while juggling three children + a marriage in the South Bronx. The 80's in New York City was no picnic, with the boom of drug use and poverty affecting many of the poor neighborhoods. While she choose to be a SAHM, she also worked sparingly in temp jobs as well as gained an entrepreneurial spark when she organized bus trips to shopping malls + amusement parks like Sesame Place. As a young teenager, I did not seek to be like my mom when growing up. In fact, I don't think I ever picked a particular role model at all. All I really wanted to do was travel far from my city in search of seeing what else the world had to offer. Now in my age of 38, I can step back and take full scope of my mother, as a person and a human, as her own entity. It all seemed so muddled back then, being so close to her while in the midst of my childhood and in the realm of generational spells that I wanted to break. As a mother myself, I can now see her for who she truly is now and for who she wanted to be back then. I started thinking about the fate of my mother recently as I received one of many texts regarding her health. The idea of losing the one that brought you into the world is a heavy burden to ponder. I've lost a close relative in the past few years, thankfully in her elder years of 102 years old. I was mentally prepared for her to leave this Earth and had thought about that moment for many years prior to receiving the phone call that she had passed. I'm not quite sure as to how I would handle the passing of my own mother, although I know it is inevitable as it is with anyone but it just still seems so far fetched. I suppose no one can truly prepare for the loss of their own parent.

If you have a strained relationship with your parent or guardian I challenge you to step back and truly see them as a human outside of the role they played in your life. Consider the factors of their own childhood and young adult experiences that helped to shape them into the person you've come to know before their time is called and you no longer have the chance to see their true beauty.

#motherhood