This made me think about how often mothers are expected to disappear inside motherhood, then praised for raising daughters who know how to care for themselves. But those daughters have to learn it somewhere. They learn it by watching us protect a little piece of our own lives, even when other people misunderstand it, resent it, or call it selfish.
What your daughter built is beautiful, but the part that moved me most was her coming back years later and telling you she finally understood. You weren’t leaving her behind. You were showing her how not to leave herself behind.
You said it so perfectly - mothers are expected to disappear inside motherhood, then praised for raising daughters who know how to care for themselves. It doesn’t have to be that way. Thank you so much!
This made me think about how often mothers are expected to disappear inside motherhood, then praised for raising daughters who know how to care for themselves. But those daughters have to learn it somewhere. They learn it by watching us protect a little piece of our own lives, even when other people misunderstand it, resent it, or call it selfish.
What your daughter built is beautiful, but the part that moved me most was her coming back years later and telling you she finally understood. You weren’t leaving her behind. You were showing her how not to leave herself behind.
You said it so perfectly - mothers are expected to disappear inside motherhood, then praised for raising daughters who know how to care for themselves. It doesn’t have to be that way. Thank you so much!