Becoming Real
I stood in front of the mirror.
Hurting and alive.
So depleted and so full.
Feeling ugly and knowing I was beautiful.
Weaker than I’ve ever felt.
Stronger than I’ve ever been.
Never alone.
I lost myself, but I found a well deeper and more vibrant than I ever knew existed.
This is motherhood, and I am Real.
“Real isn't how you were made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time...you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you're Real you don't mind being hurt...Generally by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly except to the people who don't understand.”
- The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
This is why I chose the name.
Motherhood is a thing that happens to you.
It hurts, but you don’t mind.
It’s so hard, but you are doing it.
It is one of the most beautiful journeys that you can ever make. The process you go through to become Real will feel like one of the most painful things you’ll ever do. But despite everything that makes it hard, makes you question everything, makes you feel ugly and inhuman and “shabby” - despite everything - you become Real and it’s worth it.
The richness, life, fulfillment, beauty, strength, endurance and self-sacrificing make you Real. The digging deeper than you ever thought possible, the raw and intense love, and even the moments that you feel yourself shattering and breaking all make you Real.
This is what this business is all about. Showing up and celebrating it all—the good, the bad, the love, everything real. It’s all a part of the journey and I will be there with you through all of it.
“Once you are real, you can’t be ugly except to the people who don’t understand.”
I’m here to sit with you because, I understand. I see that you’re beautiful. I see that you are Real. I see how you are trying your best, and I want you to know: your best is enough. I know that you feel shabby and you feel worn out and you feel like you might be losing it–it’s ok, I’ve felt it too, you’re not alone.
We’re going to lean into it all, feel it all and give this journey of motherhood the honor and recognition it deserves. There’s poetry buried beneath all the messy bits and we’re going to find it. And most importantly, there is JOY throughout the whole process, and we’re going to seek it out together so you can tuck it as close to your tender mama heart as possible.
So, this is…