Utilizing the Village Around Me
“I think that's the stigma in the Black community as the Black mom. Society puts it on us that we are required to do all the things and be a strong Black woman and I don't want to be a strong black woman. I'm 100% okay with not being too strong because sometimes it's okay to ask for help. We don't always have to be so strong.”
Breaking Out of The Boxes of Motherhood
“So all of myself - the working person, the black mom, the married woman; it was all of me in these five different women that I was talking to every week. And that was a turning point for me to know that I'm not alone. This is okay. These are totally normal and valid feelings. That was a huge fight for me.”
Living My Most Joyous Life
“There’s that saying like, ‘the days are long, but the years are short’… they're all long, and I want them all to be enjoyable. I don't think it's too much to ask that they are mostly enjoyable and recognize the ways in which I was in the way of enjoying my own time - because I was always thinking about what I could be getting down instead.”
Taking Motherhood One Day At A Time
“I know the load of motherhood is heavy, but you can carry that load. You are amazing. Take it one day at a time. Give yourself grace daily and just invest in your wellness.”
Learning to Take Time for Myself.
“I can't do everything. I can't be everything to everyone at the same moment. And it's okay! I don't have to feel like I have to do everything. It doesn't make me less of a good mom if I'm asking for help.”
Embracing The Change Around You
“Now that I'm sharing these responsibilities, and motherhood is something that I can take control of and define for myself, it has helped me get my needs met by my community and share the goals that I have for myself so that I can set bigger goals for me and for my kids.”
Asking for the Help You Need in Motherhood
“I feel like it just really showed me that you're not alone. There's a whole bunch of struggles that every mom faces, and there's a whole bunch of struggles that- even if you're the only one facing it right now- it doesn't mean more senior veteran moms haven’t been through before. I realized that even I’ve been through experiences that I can help someone else get through and vice versa for other moms.”
Becoming Intentional About the Life You Want: Marjorie Shavers
“I just think overall this there's something that changes when you have a kid. I didn't expect that your heart just wants everything for them. And it's this crushing feeling of making sure they’re okay and happy and being able to have hold space for that but also hold space for myself.”
Meet Cecily Moore, A Balanced Working Mama
“I was definitely drowning but just too stubborn to admit it and having the support of Balanced Working Mama not only forced me to deal with the depression, but also some of my negative thoughts that stemmed from the depression.”