The following is a guest post from momAgendaCOMM blogger Jennifer Sterling.
For years I believed that in order to be strong, I had to do everything…on my own. The dishes were always washed and my apartment spotless. I believed that asking for help was a sign of weakness. Every female role model I had ever known did everything on their own. My mom raised 6 children, alone. I have no recollection of her ever asking for anything. She worked full-time, cooked two hot meals a day for us, and made sure we always had clean clothes and our homework done.
Looking back, I have no idea how she held everything together.
I’m in no way blaming my mother’s independence for my inability to ask for help. I admire her tenacity and her ability to get things done. I marvel at her ability to keep up such an arduous hustle for nearly 30 years. But as I get older, it’s becoming harder to hold on to that ideal—SUPERMOM.
Lately, I’ve come to the realization that aspiring to be “Supermom” just isn’t realistic for me. There are days when the dishes don’t get done and I go to bed without cleaning up the mess of toys in the middle of my living room.
I can’t do it all, but what I can do is ask for help.
I can ask a friend to babysit so I can wash my hair without interruption. I can ask for support and actually be open to receiving it without feeling weak. I can ask for help without feeling like I failed.
We can have it all, we just can’t do it all…by ourselves.
I’m sharing this with you because I have a feeling that there are days when you feel like you have to do it all, especially if you want it done “right.” There are days when we, as mothers, have to give more than we thought possible. Those days sometimes come more often than not, but in the process of giving to others don’t forget to give to yourself. Take care of yourself—make time to do things that make you feel good. Make time to indulge—get your hair done, paint your nails, enjoy a cup of tea in a quiet space.
Ask for help. You deserve it.
And I made these for you:
I’m sharing the recipe with the hope that you’ll make them and take the time to enjoy them. You can even share them if you’d like.
Mixed Berry Rose Popsicles
{Makes 8 popsicles}
Ingredients:
16 oz Mixed Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries), frozen
40 drops liquid stevia, or to taste
1 tsp rose water
1/3 cup water
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour into popsicle mold and freeze overnight, or until solid.
Enjoy!
Jennifer Sterling is an allergen-free Pastry Chef, Holistic Nutritionist and mother of one. She struggled for years with issues related to undiagnosed food intolerances and Candida before deciding to take her health into her own hands. In an effort to live a healthy and delicious allergen-free life, she created Sterling Sweets, an online allergen-free bakery and nutrition counseling service for women and children with food allergies and intolerances.