Motherhood is a celebrated experience, and rightfully so.

Some of us worked really, really hard just to get to the point of a pregnancy sticking.
Others didn't have to work so hard on the front end, but fought for their lives on the back end.
Some of us struggled through post-partum depression.
Others didn't have any kind of depression, but five years and three kids later feel lost in a sea of Cheerios and potty training.

Regardless, motherhood is a universal yet personal experience, it's an identity, it's a way of being.

But it's not all she is.

She's more than Mom.

She's the woman who loves Starbucks at 6 a.m. or p.m.
She's the woman who loves dancing around the kitchen.
She's the woman who loves to read.
She's the woman who loves politics, social justice, and religious debates.
She's the woman who loves the outdoors and wants to build herself a garden.
She's the woman who can still beat you four out of five rounds of Mario Kart.
She's the woman who still loves a cold beer or a glass of wine on a Friday night, just because.
She's the woman who still wants to cuddle with her puppy at the end of a long day.
She's the woman who loves to cook or bake.
She's the woman who loves World War II documentaries.
She's the woman who will binge-watch almost anything from the Food Network or HGTV.

A mom quite easily wraps up her identity in motherhood, she doesn't need more fuel for the fire. A mom loves her children, but sometimes would like to talk about other things. A mom finds incredible joy in her children and in her family, but also in many other things, if we would just take the time to ask, "What about you?"

Just food for thought / advice for life, take it or leave it.
Unless you're talking to me, then take it. ;)