July 23, 2014

Once Upon A Time........ When I Was Pretty

Pretty. Oh yeah. That was me. 

Okay. 

So maybe I was just cute but for the sake of this post (and my ego) we're gonna think pretty. In those days, I defined pretty by a few important factors; My tight, moderately ripped abs, flawless skin, clean hair, daily showers with perfumy soaps, small but perky breasts with overly optimistic nipples, and a turn-key vagina. By that I mean toned and heavily pampered (clears throat). There had been no humans birthed from it and I had no idea that it would one day be the portal for two cubs.

I reveled in the many suitors I had knocking down my door, the plethora of invites to lavish parties, and the modeling contracts eagerly awaiting my signature. Can you tell I have an active imagination? 

But honestly, my SELF-esteem was borderline unhealthy (conceit) and I took many things for granted. You can blame it all on blissful ignorance. I LOVED spending money on clothes and things I didn't need. Today it's all clutter. I had no plans for the future beyond the next weekend. And then, motherhood happened. Freedom was gone. Fancy-free escaped me. And along with it, in my eyes, pretty packed up and moved out.

Motherhood had its way with me and I was like a ship on a raging sea. My sails, and old ways of coping, were no longer useful. I had a little one relying on me when I didn't even know what to do with myself. How was I supposed to "teach" this human to be exceptional? How was I gonna manage being a mom? How was I supposed to buy my clothes, shoes, and purses if I had to buy diapers and wipes all. the. time? What about beauty sleep? And dear God, how was I gonna get rid of the 1-2 stretchmarks I was left with? You see... blissful ignorance. 

I was still TRYING to hold on to pretty. Somehow.



Fast forward 6 years and I was gifted with another cub. Multiply the sleepless nights, responsibilities, diapers, wipes, etc, by infinity. Don't like math? Don't worry. I'm not gonna quiz ya. But you DO get my point right?

By my second portal birth, I was accustomed to not doing for me like I once did. I was used to bags under my eyes and enough dark circles to play Duck, Duck, Goose. My "ripped abs" were more like ocean ripples and my breasts were happy just to be there. As for stretch marks? Who's counting right?

I look at pictures now and I don't recognize THAT girl. She's pretty. She's obviously well dressed and has been on a few dates. She has a self assurance that screams "Young and inexperienced!" There's no child in sight. And the sheer appearance of her nails, hair, and perfectly applied eye shadow let me know that she's only focused on herself. She is obviously not a mother, and therefore, I don't really recognize...her.

Today, I don't care about the petty things I once did. I still like perfumy soaps but at my age I have to be careful. Those soaps lead to itching in places I don't wanna scratch. Sleeping is the grandest party I care to attend and my cubs are now my suitors! They pursue me endlessly. I love that! As for those stretch marks, they are my tiger stripes. They tell the world that I'm an animal with a fierce bite! I've been in battle and will fight for what's mine.

My wild cubs and I.


Yes. Once upon a time, I WAS pretty (okay cute). But today, I. AM. BEAUTIFUL. 

I'm not young and perky but I'm resilient and wise. I'm raising little wild ones who are exceptional in MY eyes and I'm teaching them to be who they are, to love themselves. I'm sure they'll one day see themselves as pretty. But if I can have even a small hand in helping them to understand true beauty, I will have done my duty as a mom. 

"Once upon a time..." is overrated anyways. 

Today, this moment, is all that REALLY matters. 

Do you have your own pretty story? If so, tell me about it. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter after you follow me here. Just enter your email address (at top right) and you're all set! Thanks for reading!


13 comments:

  1. It's amazing how mother hood changes a woman's life forever. You give up everything for your child. Somedays i miss actually being able to talk to my husband over the kids loudness or waking up at noon an laying in bed on weekends watching movies. But watching your child learn an explore is so heart warming an when ur child runs up to you calling your name everything bad in ur day melts away.

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  2. I agree. It is truly amazing in the best and worst ways. Some days I don't know who I am, or whether I'm going or coming. However, just feeling the unconditional love from my girls and seeing their smiles is equivalent to breathing! They are my heart & soul! <3

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  3. I think this is my FAVORITE blog post you've written!! And I agree they are totally (mostly) worth the stretch marks! And by the way....you are still absolutely gorgeous! <3

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    1. I love how you threw "mostly" in there! At first I was unsure, but now I know that my girls are totally worth the stretchmarks! At least 99% of them! Lol!

      Thanks for reading & commenting!

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    2. And a big THANKS for that compliment! A girl can use those anytime <3

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  4. You were pretty and are now Beautiful!!! I love this post. Thanks for the inspiration. I needed to read it today as I have been looking at my younger self lately and wondering what happened. You are so right, becoming a mommy is what happening and I am excited to embrace that!! (Emily)

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    1. I'm happy that you enjoyed this post and can relate. It's not easy seeing the changes we go through when we don't see them as positive! Aging can be a beast! Lol.

      The fact that you are willing to embrace it all is encouraging to me! Thanks for reading & commenting! I appreciate that.

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  5. I can agree with this post. Once I had my son I was walking around looking crazy. I have now defined my self into a new type of pretty. I do not dress young anymore but I dress more like a mom I now find deals at the thrift store and do not spend my money foolishly. I can defiantly relate.

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    1. Lol! I'm still trying to remedy my whole "walking around looking crazy" problem! It's more difficult than I thought to get out of this rut but I'm trying!

      As for thrift stores, I LOVE THEM! Even before becoming a parent I raided thrift stores. Thank you for reading and commenting!

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  6. I LOVE this post! I never felt great about myself before having a kid, but I also had a basic sense of self-esteem. Somehow giving birth and nursing changed my self-perception enough to make me feel like a WOMAN. A sensuous, powerful, curvy woman. Maybe I tapped into a deeper biological sense of strength? Or it could be the years of sleep deprivation finally landed me permanently delusional. Either way, I'll take it.

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    1. That sleep deprivation is a powerful thing BUT in this case I think you've just evolved! Motherhood often brings us to our strength & real beauty (my opinion) or helps us to develop them. I know I'm so much stronger than I ever imagined myself to be! And I'm beautiful now in a way that reaches beyond the physical.

      Thank you for taking time to read & comment!

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  7. There are some days when I feel like I'm invisible and people state right through me and I wonder why I'm not important anymore. But then there are days when my teen thinks I'm hilarious and life is great and I feel like queen of the world. The ups and downs of motherhood. What a joy.

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  8. Love this post! I too look at the young, fresh faced pre-kid girl in old pictures and long to be her again. But not really. Because what I've got going on now is pretty freaking great, and fulfilling, and actually, I have now what that girl was dreaming of having someday.

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