Wonder Woman: A way of Life

As a child, I thought my Mother was Wonder Woman... like the real Wonder Woman fighting crime, lasso of truth, Amazon goddess the whole nine yards. The thing is, my Mother was 5'3" on a good day, worked a 9-5 job, yet always had time to make dinner and help me. I've always looked to her as a role model. She was driven to provide a better life for the 3 of us, (Herself, my Father and me). She managed to take care of herself, getting her hair done, applying makeup daily.. those types of things. She had dreams... to open a little bakery, a neighborhood coffee house, a gourmet candy shop. Always something along the lines of more than just making a profit but providing comfort to others. And we all know how awesome a good cup of coffee can be for the soul.

As I grew older, joined the workforce, set out my life's goals, I would think about all that my Mother had done to provide for us. All the sacrifices, such as quitting her job on Wall Street to stay home with me. 30 some-odd years later, the fact that women's roles in life change once they have children remains tried and true.

It's more than "I am Woman, hear me roar" it seems lately, it's "I am Wonder Woman". I can work, take care of the kids, take care of my husband, take care of my house, take care of the dog, take care of...

And then reality sets in and you have "taken care of" so many things, people, places, that you not only forgot yourself but you realize your life is not your own. When did that happen? Somewhere between diaper change 1 million and doing the dishes, it hits you. When did my life shift from being a woman to becoming Wonder Woman? When did I decide that I wanted, nay, needed to have it all?

I don't remember when that happened to me... When did I say to myself, "Self, I want it all". It seems that it was just a natural response to what was happening in my life. It happened in stages, gradually. I met a man, we fell in love, we lived together, we got married. So, right there I wanted to be a good homemaker and wife. We had a baby, I quit my job, and now I'm running a business and taking care of baby. Again, suddenly, I'm a homemaker, wife, mother, and business owner. It happens in stages, we start this journey thinking and being one way. Then we morph into this other person who must do it all, know it all, be it all. 

The culmination for me, happened when I had Darin. My role changed the minute he was born. No longer was it about me, my needs, wants, desires, it's about Darin. How to nurture this amazing little human being they let me take home.Yet, in the back of my mind are my dreams, my dreams of my own success. Thus the juggle to be Wonder Woman and "have it all" continues.

I started off talking about how much of a role model my Mother was to me. She was an amazing person, and looking back on her life, she really was Wonder Woman. Child, husband, home, job, dreams and more. The lesson is we can strive to have it all... just not all at the same time.