Got It From My Mama

Obviously, this year’s Mother’s Day is particularly sweet. It is my first as a mom myself. You know, other than being a dog mom to Presley. 😉 It is amazing how becoming a mom has grown my love for my own mama even more than I ever thought it could. I mean, my mom was already the first person I called when I was upset or needed to vent. We have always been close. But, it’s amazing how still, somehow, my heart grew with gratitude for her when Knox came.

Having Knox has shown me hands-on just how much my mom did for me and my siblings. Being a mom is not for the faint of heart, y’all. It’s tough work. It’s a constant sacrifice. It’s eating last. It’s being chin deep in laundry and drool. It’s becoming a human mattress. It’s turning into a human jungle gym.

Truly, at our core, moms influence who we are and the way we view our world from the youngest age, arguably more than anybody else. She has taught me so much. To be okay with trying new things and failing. To believe I can do anything. She allowed me freedom in creativity. Although, sometimes I wish she had told me not to walk out of the house with some of the outfits I put together in my youth… But look at me now mom! HAHA. I guess she knew what she was doing, because I do fashion for a career now. She always knew how to turn absolutely anything we did into some kind of a lesson. She is a teacher in every manner of the word. That overflowed into our home growing up.

Funny Side Note: I, for whatever reason, remember MOST when she taught me to always wear full panties in a dress. I am sure she wishes I vividly remembered a far more important life lesson… but that one truly is one of my most memorable words of advice. I recall it every time I put a dress on still, 15 years later.

There are so many qualities of my mother I hope to mimic in my own parenting. But, there are a few that really stick out to me. It’s her ability to use every opportunity as a teachable moment. Watching her play with Knox has been so fun, because it’s shown me how. When playing, when reading, when laying down for a nap… you can always be showing and teaching. I love that about my mom. She also is quite possibly the most understanding human on the planet. She always sees the other side of situations and is compassionate. Far more compassionate than I could ever even hope to be. But, I hope to be like that, none the less.

Above all, my mom has taught me to just be there. Be there physically, be there emotionally. Be there when you’re tired and would rather skip practice. Be there when nobody else will be. Be there when it’s your duty to be. Be there because you want to be. Be there when the world says to give up.

Be there.

My mom has always been there. Which, believe me, I don’t take for granted. From my childhood, never missing a thing and teaching me the same qualities of responsibility and showing up, to adulthood sleeping on the sofa at the hospital waiting for Knox to be born. If Knox can look back on his life when he is 25 years old and say, “Mom was always there”, then I feel I ran my race well. Not “Mom did it perfectly” or “Mom never messed up”, but “Mom was present. She cheered me on. She was my biggest fan, even when I failed.” That’s success in this crazy journey of motherhood, if you ask me.

Mamas, remind yourself to be present. And grace. Give yourself a lot of grace. Believe me, I am preaching to myself first. It’s hard to be a mom, a business owner, a dreamer, a wife… it’s so hard. But, remind yourselves to be present and that you don’t have to do it perfectly. None of us can. Your kid will mess up. They may even hurt you. So much is out of our control from the second they’re born. But, the one thing we can control and do often is to show up. We can be there. That’s your greatest role in motherhood. Put down the phone, say more no’s to things that take you away and more yeses to things that allow life experiences together. Knox has changed my life in every way possible. My perspective on life, wants vs. needs, feeling content in all things, and living in an abundance way of thinking… it’s all changed because of my son.

Happy Mother’s Day to you. To the new moms, to the seasoned moms. To the mom just trying to make it, to the mommy-to-be. To the foster moms, to the adoptive moms. We celebrate you all today. You are a rockstar.

xoxo, Han