I am a Mom, but it is not all that I am.

When you become a Mother you dedicate your entire life to being there for your children, and no, not just until they are 18, you are a Mom, forever. You somehow forget that woman who has her own wants and needs. You forget about you.

It's not just our own fault either, just about everyone around us is more worried about our children than they are us. We get lost in all the cute faces. When your family calls you they often don't ask how YOU are doing, they ask how the kids are. It's great to have family that cares about your kids, but come on, you are a person too! It's time that we learn to take care of ourselves as well as we take care of our kids.

I've given so much to my family lately that I've been slacking on my own health. I've stopped going to counseling because I don't want to miss out on that family time or spend that extra money. I stopped doing things I enjoyed doing because I didn't want to slack on house work. I've been suffering through my panic attacks because I'm planning on housing a tiny human despite my doctors saying my anxiety medication would be fine during pregnancy. Everything that I've been doing lately has been all about my kids, and while it's honorable, and it's how I like things to be, it certainly isn't healthy.

It's okay to think about ourselves sometimes ladies. I put myself on the back burner too. I forget it's okay to put off the laundry until morning because I'm so exhausted I can barely keep my eyes open. It's okay to cry because I'm so overwhelmed. It's okay to do something for ourselves. Join the gym only because YOU feel like it. Eat some chocolate and don't share. Have that glass of wine and read your book. Go to sleep early because you're tired and you need rest. Do something for you.

And if you know a Mom who has lost her identity in the consumption of Motherhood, make her a priority sometimes. Ask how SHE is doing once in a while. Odds are we will tell you we are fine either way, but you may catch us on a day when we really need that moment to talk about ourselves. We had an identity before we became Mothers, and that doesn't completely go away just because we procreated.

Spend some time with yourself, Mom's. It's okay. We all know you are just doing the best that you can.