A children's book with a special message for all those who mother

I'm thankful to share with you my motivation and why I wrote this  book, because I think it is an example of how something precious can be born from a place of despair.

I started writing the book years ago, because I felt lonely in my motherhood journey. I was already considered a 'mature' mom, having had Ronan at age 36 with help from science. Relatively successful in my corporate career, I was seen by everyone as no-nonsense, get it done kind of a lady, and I agreed with the sentiment. To my own surprise, I was found wanting in the natural motherly instincts department.

In my experience, when you are older and decide to have babies, people don't find you cute. They assume you know exactly what you are doing both in life and in motherhood, and you better be the best mom Pinterest has ever seen! I felt utterly alone, had minimal networks of moms in similar life situations to relate to, ask for support from or even just to share my clumsy experiences with. It took a lot of work for me to make it all look 'effortless,' and I was so tired, but I couldn't tell anybody how I felt. I wasn't' even sure if I was allowed to feel lost as a mom!?

I had to reason my way out of the darkness I was feeling creeping into my heart. And one day, with a sentence he used to say to me daily, repeatedly, to demand things, "Omma can do it," Ronan ended up triggering a break through that freed me from my own mental prison. And there in that moment, I decided to own my own motherhood journey in its imperfections. It changed something in my core, and I will always be grateful to Ronan for giving me that life lesson. And I went on to have another IVF baby who took three years to make, which makes me a 43 year old mom with a 1 year old.  Talk about "mature." :)

I'm a big proponent for people connecting through personal stories so I hope this one will connect with you. I hope it provides a rallying cry for those who may feel lonely in their motherhood journey and encourage them to continue showing up everyday. Our littles deserve nothing less than our daily best in the hardest job of our lives. 

If I could dare to hope for one more thing, it’s that this story will help spark candid conversations between parents and kids about perfectionism.  I believe when we tell our kids we aren’t perfect beings but instead, are simply (and wholeheartedly) committed to trying our best, it will create a new model for how we engage with one another. You may even be surprised how much recognition you get from your littles upon this admission. Largely, I hope it will free us from the ever-mounting pressures we put on ourselves and bring us even closer to our authentic motherhood journeys.