The first time I heard the word "mommy-blogger" I instantly recognized it as derisive. I thought, "Who are these women who can't stop writing about their progeny? Who are these women who immerse themselves in the lives of toddlers and have subsequently lost their identity? These mommy-bloggers with only their children as blog fodder?" I pictured them as cookie cutter mothers, having nothing better to do but make lego castles and playdough pizzas. I felt instantly superior. Well, maybe not superior but..."otherly". It didn't occur to me that I actually was one, that I was a mommy-blogger - by virtue of being a mother and a blogger. Which is understandable considering that my first year of blogging I barely wrote about my child or the trials of motherhood. Liv was a ghost. I didn't write about being a mother or parenting issues or anything of that nature because my writing was a way to escape that - to escape a reality that was foreign and overwhelming. Including that reality in my writing felt invasive.
But I feel differently now. I stumbled upon some wonderful moms who are bloggers, (like her and her and her), and some awesome dads who are bloggers, (like him and him and him) who have taught me that writing about the challenges and joys of parenting can be interesting and funny and kind of amazing*. Is there any undertaking more daunting than raising up a baby to adulthood? Kids are strange little creatures that will make you laugh hearty laughs and cry salty tears and sometimes blow your fucking mind. There are a million different ways to be a parent and you don't have to sacrifice your soul in the process. I have three children now. And the truth is that right now I am immersed in motherhood; the kind of immersion that, 3 years ago, would have made my skin crawl. These three little people are the ocean in which I swim. Whether I drown or tread water remains to be seen.
*This is just a handful of the bloggers who have inspired me over the past year or so. There are so many more that I wish I could include!
2 days ago
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BABIES!
ReplyDeleteAhem.
Thanks for the linky love.
Sing it, sister. I had the same moment, where I had to realize and accept that I was "one of them". Whatever. I do what I do, you do what you do, and if it makes someone more comfortable to put a label on it, c'est la vie.
ReplyDeleteYou'll tread and you'll swim, dammit.
the cheeks on that baby! oh, you'll swim. you are swimming.
ReplyDeleteI saw this awhile ago and wanted to send you a personalized "holy crap thank you" email, but you know how that goes. So, here's your not so personal "holy crap thank you" comment. It's pretty damn special to follow a link and find yourself.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout out, Gwen. You know it's reciprocated. You also know there's a difference between a mummy blogger who writes about what her kids eat every day and what you do.
ReplyDeleteIt's okay. I get contempt for being a "twenty-something blogger."
ReplyDeleteYou are not a mommy-blogger. You are a mommy who writes - beautifully, I might add - about many aspects of life. It's an honor to read your stuff.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the shout-out, my friend.
Loved the video as well. My God . . .