Is your purpose...parenting?

Your choice to "just" be a parent is valid, you are whole and worthy. Original Post Jan. 5th 2020

What is your purpose? Maybe this is something you've never really asked yourself before, so here it is, take a moment, close your eyes, and ask yourself; "What is my purpose?" We are all her for a reason. We may just be a tiny speck in this great universe, but without a doubt our lives are important and have a profound effect on this world. So, what is it? What is your purpose?

I think with our society today we are made to feel as though the answer to a question like that must be something big and crazy and life changing... and (although it might be) it doesn't have to be. For so long I have fought this battle with myself.

We have some idea of what our life will look like when we're older and think about all of the things we hope to accomplish, but what is the driving force behind those dreams? Are they really for us or are they just things that are vain that we don't really enjoy but know will make us money?

This whole tangent to bring me to this point: I have always known that I wanted to be a mother. Point blank. I have always known I wanted to have a family and a larger (than average) one at that. But, even in knowing that I wanted to be a mother, for the longest time when I would ask myself what my purpose was my response was never "to be a mother". Why is that? Why have I struggled for so long to come to terms with what is the most important job to me? My answer has been so many things: cosmetologist, CNA, special needs teacher, bartender, dental assistant, personal trainer, yoga instructor, YouTuber, Reiki practitioner, small business owner... Why did "mother" never seem like an important enough response?

Having children so young was always my excuse for not knowing what I really wanted to do with my life, when really I had known all along. "If I hadn't had Peyton I would have done this." "Brooklyn's still young enough, I can get this accomplished before she's too old and then we can have a second income." "I need something for me to get out of the house and have a break, so if I do this course I can at least make money doing something I enjoy." "Well, if anything ever happens to Cody and I at least I'll have something to fall back on (oh the irony)."

Why is our society so skewed that the purpose of being a parent is a hard pill to swallow? Why does it feel like you lose your identity? Why does it always seem like you can not possibly do enough to make that a valid purpose? When did working outside the home hold more clout than raising the next generation?

I am enough. You are enough. Having 'being a parent' as your purpose in life does not make you any less of a person than someone whose purpose is be an astronaut or a surgeon. We need more love. Our whole world needs better humans. So if you're feeling like your choice to give parenting your undivided attention is insignificant, my friend, you are very mistaken.