One of the aims of Goldpress is to empower Mama Bears. I want to be a part of the movement shifting the culture of motherhood from guilt, comparison, and inadequacy to a culture of confidence, security, and joy.
Motherhood is difficult, yes. But it is also a chance to rise up, shed the perfectionism, and believe that you have -- and are -- enough.
All of the moms I know are doing an excellent job in their own unique ways. I just want to tell all my mom friends, all the time, "You're really amazing!" Now that I've become a mama, I understand why this is important. Aside from the intense logistical juggle and the pressure of, you know, shaping a person's life, motherhood is a raw, emotion- and hormone- fueled battleground.
Sure, mommy wars, blah blah blah. The real battle, however, is internal and has to do, in my opinion, with owning your new role and your choices and not looking to anyone else for validation. And that struggle is real! But Grizzly Bear doesn't look to Polar Bear for permission to do what she knows in her gut to do, she gets on with it.
I've also met women who don't have children but do possess the nurturing, warrior spirit of a Mama Bear. They are fiercely protective of what's in their care -- whether it's their family, relationships, or creativity. A Mama Bear lives each day from a position of strength. They know who they are and have nothing to prove.
Mama Bears also accept a lot of grace because it's easy to forget and feel weak -- especially when you're so tired and living off coffee fumes. It's so easy to get sucked down into the mire of comparison and to overthink the dumbest things. It's easy to feel the guilt associated with motherhood because that pull is strong. It's during those times we need to recalibrate and actively remember who we are.
The Mama Bear collection is all about reminding ourselves -- and the other mothers in our lives -- that we are nurturers, but also fierce. We are stronger than we know, and the world needs us to know it.
My hope is that every time you don't feel like the Mama Bear that you are, you would rise up and be you well. And then you would pass on the encouragement to another Mama Bear in your life -- because we're all in this together.