What to say when asked to write about why I’m unique? Or why I’m awesome? Or why I should be chosen to blog for a parenting site?
I could tell you I’ve spent the better part of the last few months looking for just such an opportunity (just ask Natalie). I could remind you I’ve quit my job because I think I’ve done what I can do there and I believe that in order to get where I want to be I need to walk away. I could connect those dots and tell you that when I wrote about believing in something, this is what I meant.
Maybe that sounds silly. Quitting a director job to be a mommy blogger? Pshaw. But I don’t want to be “just” a mommy blogger. Maybe I will get another full-time job, but only if it’s the right one. But, more importantly, I don’t think there is such a thing as “just” a mommy blogger.
After my wedding, I gave my mom a tile with a picture of us from my wedding day and the following quote:
“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” ~ Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
At the time I really didn’t understand how true that was.
I do now. Every mother does.
The “mother” part of my identity isn’t the only part. I’m not even sure it’s the biggest part, at least not in a day-to-day sense. Who I am as a person is not defined by the fact that I have a child (even if who I am as a person is increasingly defined by how exhausted I feel. That part ends, right? Right?!). I do think what makes me unique is that who I am is influenced by how I responded to the unexpected difficulty I had upon becoming a mother.
At least that’s what others said when I posed the question.
(Silly girl, of course it’s relevant.)
So I don’t know if it makes me unique, but that’s who I am. I’m a writer and a blogger and a communications professional.
I’m a working mom with a husband who’s a stay-at-home dad.
I’m a west coast girl who’s moving to the mountains.
I’m a PPD survivor.
I’m a brutally honest writer who believes there’s beauty in the breakdown.
I’m a TEDx speaker.
I think toddlers are boldly, brilliantly, delightfully weird.
I’m not afraid to dye my hair blue to show my support for something important.
I’m not afraid to take a leap of faith.
I’m someone who believes that we should be honest about what being a parent is like and that we shouldn’t have to pretend every single ounce of the experience lights us up.
I’m also someone who believes parenting can be fun, and funny, and inspiring, and that writing about it makes a contribution to this world.
Photo credit: Kuzeytac on Flickr
***
For Nadine: Yes, I cheated by linking to other posts above. Here are three of my best, or the three I think demonstrate why I’d be good for your site:
The real: On Motherhood and Losing Yourself
The sweet: Mirror Image
For everyone else: If you send her subliminal “pick Robin!” messages I will love you forever.
