It’s Never Too Late to be You
by Eileen G. Martinez

Oftentimes as parents, we get so caught up in our role as “Mom”, that we forget to nourish ourselves as individuals. Certainly, caring for our family, working outside the home, cleaning the house, and trying diligently to keep up with the ever-present piles of laundry are all important (and constant) parts of our everyday lives. But what unfortunately befalls many women is the feeling of a loss of their personal. A sense of feeling trapped, helpless, useless or worst yet, invisible can make achieving fulfillment as a person all the more difficult. So what can we do?

First, remember there has to be time for self. This is no less important than the myriad of other tasks and tribulations we work on every day. Now, you may be thinking, “Oh sure, like I have time for a bubble bath, and who’s going to clean the tub afterwards?” While pampering yourself is certainly a step in the right direction, downtime is not the same as “me” time. And so we must dig a little deeper and find who we were before we became wife, before we were mom and before we lost some of our personal definition.

Take some time during the kids’ nap or while they’re at school to sit down and think about what you enjoy doing. What were your goals before becoming a wife and/or parent? Did you enjoy gardening? Maybe you never finished your degree in anthropology. Perhaps you enjoyed writing poetry or donning your cowboy boots for some country line dancing. Whatever your passions may be, take time to think about them and determine if you no longer do them, and if you don’t, why not?

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