A Mother's Identity Crisis - Part I

In this month of January my hope is to generate conversation about this topic. This topic is so real and is dear to a lot of hearts. When I say – A Mother’s Identity Crisis what is the first thought that comes to mind? Mine would be lost.   Lost in the unknown.

I get the incredible privilege to speak to women, especially MOPS groups, and what I find is that although majority of them are so in love with being a mom, the newness of a baby or a new addition to the family, there are those mom’s moving into another phase in their life…school-aged children.  Then we go from a part-time empty nester to a full-time one.  So many phases in mothering our children, no wonder we sometimes lose our identity. And that’s what I want to talk about with you these next few weeks.

I remember when I had my last one.  I had four kids under the ages of 2 ½ and remember thinking at times “this is what my life is about, changing diapers and feeding babies!”  There were so many days I would cry and feel as though I didn’t know who I was anymore.  I wasn’t Michelle, I was Mom. I was this person that I wasn’t familiar with.  I knew what I wanted to be, what I had envisioned in my mind.  A little bit of June Cleaver and Mrs. Cosby with the fun of Mrs. Cunningham.  But how was I going to get there?  Nobody told me about all these emotions you have raising babies.  The emptiness you feel inside not for yourself, but about yourself.

But I didn’t need to watch Leave it to Beaver or the Cosby Show to find out how to be a good mom.  I didn’t need to read What to Expect When Your Expecting, even though I did (great book).  I realized I needed to go to the Source on my knees in prayer and in the Word. He was going to give me the peace I needed.  He was the one who helped me find my identity.

I’ll discuss more about this Monday, but for now…

Do you or did you ever feel at times as though you lost your identity as a mom? Why?