Like a good sermon, sometimes you find a blog post that just keeps going through your mind, the key points tumbing over and over in your mind.
It was a simple tweet that brought this treasure to me. I’d recommend reading it in full, but the quick summary is that as this mother of two kids who are less than a year apart starts getting rid of the baby things, she realized she also needed to get rid of what she called her “two under two” shoes — those comfy mommy-on-the-run shoes many of us take to wearing when we leave behind our corporate looks and become part of the playgroup set.
Wow.
I’ve been getting rid of a lot of baby and toddler gear over the past year and while a recent trip to a conference did prompt me to update my wardrobe some (long overdue), I hadn’t thought about how much I needed to revisit my own mommy self-image. Sure, I am still down on the ground with the kids a lot, and walking in the woods, and getting into paints, etc. but they aren’t spitting up on me or expelling bodily fluids on me (much…) They still run me ragged, but I’m not zombie-sleep-deprived like I used to be. And I can wear jewelry again without fear of having my earlobes ripped or my neck strangled.
In other words, it’s time for me to stop feeling like I’m just the kid carrier and start remembering the woman I used to be — the one who actually had a smidgen of fashion sense and didn’t see clothes as merely a way to shield the body from the elements, pointing fingers and indecency laws. It’s time for a new attitude!
Well, it’s going to take a little time, and a little work. I’m still growing out a haircut I HATED. And there’s that walking program I mentioned a few posts ago. But at least I did finally buy some cute shoes (which is not to say you won’t still see me in sneakers on the playground…) But I’m working my way back to fashion plate. Watch out JavaDad, your closet space may be in danger!
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Hi! Thanks so much for your kind words about my two-under-two shoes post. I’m finding inspiration here too … laughed out loud over the haircut issue (me too) and look forward to the day when I can even consider wearing necklaces or earrings again. (I really had completely forgotten about those dangly things!) It’s fascinating how quickly certain aspects of ourselves just “slip away” for awhile when we are immersed in managing younger children. Look forward to reading more from you!