Project Motherhood with Ashley Abercrombie
Motherhood is the hardest freaking thing I have ever done in my life - thank God I love being a Mama, or we wouldn't make it fam. The most difficult thing I have faced is my own anger, and desire to control, which is nearly impossible with kids, who are utterly unpredictable, and delightfully curious. I've had to intentionally make decisions to stay in recovery (16 years sobriety from drugs, eating disorders and abuse of alcohol), through reciprocal relationships, honesty, and reaching out for help. I've also had to get great at apologizing to my kids when I blow it, explaining things to them, instead of expecting them to just "get it/do it/obey me", and being consistent in my parenting and follow through, even when I don't feel like doing any of that.
My partner, and husband, Cody is helping our family push past traditional roles within marriage. We both travel for work, co-parent together, serve our community and city as a family, and we divide our household responsibilities by what we mostly like doing, rather than what society says men and women "should" do. I remember asking him right after our son was born, if he would mind watching our kiddo, while I spent time with friends, and he said, "You mean, be a father to my son? No, I don't mind doing that." I'm grateful our two sons can grow up knowing that it is possible for families (whatever the family dynamics look like) to make the best decisions for each person to thrive, together, and that there is no "normal". As I've heard it said, "Everybody's normal, until you get to know them." That's so true. Nobody's perfect, and we're all dealing with something, and I'm okay with that; in fact, knowing that truth, normalizes our experience, and encourages us to keep going. So, we're charting our own course with the support and encouragement of family and friends.
Whether we have lost children or partners, have grown children, toddlers, babies, teenagers, or are facing infertility, we really are at our best, when we own the hard parts, celebrate the good stuff, and suspend our judgment so that we can encourage other women in our lives. The bottom line is, motherhood is hard af, for real, and we need each other.
Learn more about Ashley by visiting her IG @ashabercrombie
Thank you Ashley !
