I am on this Motherhood journey.
So are you.
It’s a wilderness sometimes. It’s full of scary animals clawing at you. It is our own unchartered territory. And yet, it is also full of wonder and joy. As in seeing a child’s first experience of bubbles and puppies and oceans.
We travel together and separate in our unique ways of mothering, loving, caring, giving, teaching, and protecting our children.
And if Robert Louis Stevenson is right that
“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend,” then, I am that friend. To you.
I will never pretend that I am the perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect homemaker and cook, the perfect ANYTHING with a perfect life.
I owe you that.
I owe that to myself.
Because when we just smile at each other and spout off pleasantries and a disingenuous “Life is good” or “I am blessed,” we do each other a huge disservice. We, fellow mothers, can enrich and encourage each other with the truth. The beautiful moments as a mom and the VERY BAD NO GOOD moments.
Vulnerability breeds connection. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be alone in this madness, mayhem and marvel. Do you? I hope not. Because for many of us, we would say that parenting (parenting well, that is, with intention, wisdom and unconditional, tough love) is the HARDEST job we have ever had.
Pretending we’re all right and fake stoicism does us no good, mamas.
Only by sharing the depth of what I think, feel, and analyze in the Mom-life, can I connect to you. I am useless to you, and you to me, if I PRETEND, POSTURE, or POSE as the Perfect, Pinterest-y, Do-Everything-Awesome Mom. I am so imperfect, and not afraid to admit it.
I love to be inspired by women with open hearts willing to share, willing to bare their truths. Women who are just emotionally and spiritually naked, who desire to benefit you, build you up and love-you-not-judge-you.
And that’s me. I’m the Naked Mom. Willing to share my mistakes and failures (and some victories), with you. May you be inspired by the truths and stories I tell. It’s my passion to be honest, even at the cost of “clothes” and everyone’s approval. Whoever that is anyway.
Dana says
You have already inspired me!!
Pam says
Jessica, so happy you started a new blog. It looks great! I wish I there has been honest, truth-telling blogs when I was in the trenches of motherhood. It really does take a village.
Can’t wait to follow along!
Liz says
And this my friend is one of your “victories”. Thank you for being willing to be “naked”. I gain a lot from your beautifully honest writing.