Chileeeee…when my daughter was born I went through a massive identity crisis.
When women become pregnant, everyone and their momma will give you all sorts of unsolicited advice on how a woman should behave now that she is a mother. People said things like, “you can’t wear no crop tops now, you a mother” or “you might as well hang up that dream of going back to school, your kid comes first”. Whew. The madness.
Unfortunately, I allowed these words to cloud my judgment. Now, I did go back to school but I was a total shell of myself in every other area. I was not dressing how I wanted. Going to the places I wanted to visit. Or diving into the new interest I had developed. My daughter was turning three when I finally started to reclaim my time as a bad bitch!
Over the last year, I’ve committed to being a mom that still takes time to nurture herself while raising a child. My daughter must see me actively working on myself. This will show her that we are all diamonds in the rough that need a lil’ boost from time to time. Throughout this journey, there have been women that inspire me to return to center and become a better version of myself. Some of these women just happen to be characters from a few of our favorite television shows!
Blanca Evangelista (Pose)
Blanca is the epitome of a mother who goes above and beyond for her kids. It takes an enormous amount of courage to start your own house after getting removed from a house as legendary as The House of Abundance. But honey, Miss Blanca did not come to play!
Damon, Angel, and Lil Papi were all taken in by Blanca and she showed them all nothing but love and respect. Blanca showed several times that she is willing to go to great lengths for her loved ones. Blanca was always unapologetically herself and was never afraid to stand up for herself. She didn’t let anything stop her from pursuing her dreams. Blanca taught me that mothers have to always lead by example. How can we push our kids to live their best lives if we are not doing the same?
Notable Quote: Do you know what the greatest pain a person can feel is? The greatest tragedy a life can experience? It is having a truth inside of you, and you not being able to share it. It is having a great beauty, and no one there to see it.
Rainbow Johnson (Black-ish)
Although she had her hands full with her five kids and husband, Rainbow made it clear that she is a career woman! She is showing the world that you can be an excellent mom and still have goals surrounding your professional life! Throughout the show, we have seen Rainbow have her fair share of ups and downs.
However, she doesn’t stay in a bad space for too long, and babyyy it’s the resilience for me. I love Rainbow because she shows us that life is always going to hand you lemons, but it’s up to you to turn it into lemonade! She is so fun and full of life. I love mothers that understand the importance of having something that you’re passionate about outside of the kids.
Notable Quote: “You can’t make decisions just to prove someone’s idea about you is wrong. You have to follow your heart, and when you do… you’ll be a part of something you love for all the right reasons.”
Nikki Parker (The Parkers)
Name somebody badder than Nikki Parker! I’ll wait! She was so dope because she knew that people would have their opinions on her going back to school because of her age, but Nikki simply gave no fucks! Not only did she go back and finish her high school diploma, but Nikki also went on to college! She was an entrepreneur and she supported Kim on everything she pursued. With a little humor and tough love, she gained the respect of her friends and family. Nikki taught me that the bond between a mother and daughter is unbreakable and that there is nothing in this world that can not be accomplished.
Notable Quote: “Trust me. I know. I wrote the book and maintain a website.”