I love reading about parenting.
I love surfing the web about parenting.
Of course, I am particularly interested in Motherhood.
I came across a great site today – recommended by another amazing site. It is a site for “Smoms” (stepmoms).
I was a little sad when I saw the word “Smom”. We though we coined it in our house:( Gabe came up with it a few years ago – or so we thought. But, alas, there is a whole smattering of Smoms out there. Including a “Cafe Smom” website
I checked this website out and was immediately sucked into it as I could relate to so much of it. I’m looking forward really exploring it.
I also love one of my “go to Mom” websites: PowerofMoms. I like to read different uplifting articles from this site and get a lot of good ideas.
But something struck me today.
I can’t go to the same website. I have to go to one website for being a Mom and another website for being a Smom.
Now, I get why (sort of…). And in reality, of course both websites are open to everyone.
But I do find it sad that as much as we try to make “Motherhood” all encompassing, there are dividers. We label ourselves: I am a stay at home (SAHM), I’m a working Mom, I am a single Mom. Then there is the biological Mom, the Adoptive Mom, the Stepmom (Smom).
Notice though how these words describe our circumstances around motherhood – not the kind of mothers we actually are. These descriptors certainly carry a lot of weight too. We automatically conjure up certain thoughts, judgements and stereotypes (We do. Just saying. I’ve seen it first hand especially being a “Smom”).
But we are all Mothers. We are all raising children. As much as it is important to celebrate diversity, I think we need to celebrate commonalities too. Commonalities in our hearts: regardless of circumstance, we are mothers.
So for now, I’ll keep jumping websites, but in my reality, I am blending both of those worlds together. I may be a biological Mom, a Smom, a working Mom…but I am one person: I am a Mother, which is an revered and sacred role, and my badge of honour that I wear proudly.
Well said! I’m a wife, an ex-wife, a mom, a stepmom but at the heart of it all I am a woman who loves being a mother to all six of her kids! Labels help us talk about different roles but they can never define our hearts.
I am so thankful you found me and honored that you love the site. I love what you are doing and am grateful to connect.
Have a wonderful night with your family, MOM!
xoxo Heather
I hear you!
I recently hesitated to comment on a woman’s blog who was a hard core career mom. I immediately thought she’d frown down on me for being a SAHM, but I sucked it up and commented anyway because I used to be a hardcore career mom, too. Turns out SHE IS AWESOME. And she’s considering leaving the workforce to follow her passions and well, spend more time with her kid.
It’s sad though that I hesitated in the first place. If I’d really let the divide stop me from commenting I’d have totally missed out on a really good WOMAN and MOM.
Awesome post as usual, Leah.
Leah, you have a beautiful spirit, and I really appreciate what you said here. At The Power of Moms, our goal is to bring together “deliberate mothers,” and we’re hoping that will encompass all kinds of women, whether they are involved in paid work or not, whether they are single or divorced, whether they homeschool or not. We can’t be “all things to all people,” but I agree–our focus needs to be on our commonalities. Thanks for all you do!