Key points:
- Embrace change and grow from it; take risks and persevere through challenges.
- Cherish the journey of parenting and recognize your growth as a person beyond being a mom.
- Celebrate milestones and cherish the precious moments with your child.
- Remember to prioritize self-care, professional growth, and relationships outside of motherhood.
Dear not so distant future self,
I am here being our biggest cheerleader, having lived through some very stop-and-go type moments to get to you. All while wondering where all my time to sleep went or when I will finish that project. Or even if I was sure I put the dishes away in the right spot. When I get to be you, I want you to kindly remember me and the wisdom I’ve acquired.
I am thankful for experiencing change and finding ways to grow from it, rather than shrink because of it. Future self, continue to take risks and champion yourself through adversity. The payout is worth your time in the trenches.
You are a better person, not because you are a mom (to a plump baby with eyelashes to die for), but because you show up. And every day, you do. Future me, feel supported by the days behind you and the ones to come.
So much is around the corner for us. Our baby will start crawling! Walking! She will call for us! When our little one crawls, think that it’s because you encouraged tummy time, made funny faces, and helped her find comfort while developing her muscles.
What will it feel like when she says our name? Present me can’t even find the words to describe what I think I will feel. Savor it, future self, and remember how it felt before our baby whispered those words.
Find solace in the restlessness, rediscovery of self, and painfulness or worry these new times can bring!
As you meet new roads to forge, remember to pause and celebrate too. We are behind everything our baby has been working on and you will continue to be her greatest teacher, her coach.
And this year, when you get to her first birthday, the “me” you were and have become will still be transforming. Yet, I hope you can take a breath and remember me from the months before. Now, you will be parenting a toddler, not an infant. What will this mean for you? For your partner? Time again to think about what you need to hold onto for these whirlwind moments.
And future self, take it from me who made it this far a little bruised and broken: take time for yourself, invest in your professional life, wellbeing, and friends. Yes, we are our baby’s mom but that is not all we are. Remember you are a daughter, a wife, a friend, a colleague, and all of these are what make you YOU!
Future Jimena, you really will be amazing at whatever comes at you. I know I’m really proud of present-day us.
