TUR Mini Magazine Written Conversations Summer Edition | Page 9

Some people think that when you have a baby becoming a mom is instantaneous . I don ’ t believe that to be true . It took a lot of hard work to become the mother I am now . You think changing my entire life , breaking it down and re-molding it around someone else ’ s every need comes easily ? However , being a mom isn ’ t about solely catering to your child . While centered around it , yes , but it ’ s also about holding on to that piece of yourself that keeps you sane . Luckily for me , my daughter has developed an intense love for Elmo , so anytime I pop Sesame Street on Netflix I can have a moment of peace for myself . Whether it ’ s writing , cooking , or getting that extra thirty minutes of sleep in the morning , ( because who am I kidding a whole hour with my eyes closed and her sitting beside me , Olivia , my daughter , would never let that happen !) I need that time to feel like I ’ m a person too .
Sometimes , if I can ’ t really fall back asleep , I ’ ll just close my eyes and daydream about some romantic encounter with a new man ! Hey , we ’ re all human . We have needs ! I ’ m not specifically talking about sex either , for all you gutter brains . ( Occasionally , I like a little Fifty Shades of Grey , but it ’ s usually around a certain time of the month for me .) I ’ m talking about sitting around candlelight , or walking on the beach under the moon . All that hopelessly romantic crap that doesn ’ t actually happen in real life ! It keeps my hopes up for the future . Maybe that part of my life doesn ’ t have to be over !
As a teenager , I thought I knew it all . As a mother , I know I ’ m not even close ! But , I ’ m willing and open to learn . I want to know as much as possible about everything so I can teach my daughter . In this life , we need as good of a running start as we can get ! The more I can learn and be able to teach , it ’ s that much further ahead in life she will be .
I ’ ve devoted myself to becoming a master chef in my own right . Before I had my daughter , I knew the basics . I could make a meal without killing us all ! That by itself was success ! Nowadays , I try to cook at least once a day . I try out new recipes and different ideas consistently , so I can get a feel for what works and what doesn ’ t . It also helps that I have people to cook for who give me honest feedback instead of just negativity that I had become so accustomed to .
My mini me has revealed her true colors to be that of a girly girl . Yes , she bleeds pink glitter ! She loves getting dressed up , especially in her tutus , and strutting around the room like a supermodel ! New shoes ? She wants them on first thing in the morning ! Don ’ t let her catch you doing your makeup or your nails because she wants hers done too ! Thus , I ’ ve devoted myself to mastering these skills as well . Growing up , I didn ’ t have many girl friends to practice on . I feel like I ’ m starting from scratch , but that ’ s ok ! By the time my baby is in school I ’ ll know all the tricks of the trade ! She ’ s a diva in training and I ’ ve got to make sure she knows how to do it right ! Oh yes , honey !
Having my daughter has motivated me to be a better woman . I envision myself becoming this strong independent female because that is the type of woman I want my daughter looking up to ! Seeing her face every morning gives me that extra push I need to keep me focused on achieving this goal I have for myself . It ’ s always been a goal of mine , but now I can honestly say I ’ m making efforts to work toward that goal ! Yes , I thought my life was over when I found out I was pregnant . I realize now it was just that chapter that had ended and there is so much more ahead of me . My daughter has changed my life for the better ! I wouldn ’ t have it any other way .
O Momma !
Ardena Love is a young new mother taking life one day at a time . She keeps an open mind and a positive attitude attacking each experience with her “ mini me ” head on . Send all comments regarding Ardena Love or this article to theurbanrelease @ gmail . com . She would love to hear from you !
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