Am I “just” a mom now?

🌀Is my whole identity “mother” now?

I’ve always been someone who chases curiosity. Trying different hobbies, testing out new career paths, bouncing between places to live, simply because life is too short to stay stagnant. I never wanted to feel stuck, boxed in, or defined by just one thing.

So when I became a mom, I told myself I wouldn’t lose who I was. I’d continue to do things that made me happy. I’d still be me, just with a baby on my hip.

But wow, did motherhood humble me fast.

I underestimated just how much it would evolve me (feeling very much like a Pokémon mid-transformation💥). Motherhood has stretched me, softened me, and introduced me to patience I didn’t know existed. It’s made me more empathetic, more loving, and unlocked a whole new level of appreciation for women. It’s an undeniable part of who I am now.

But it’s not all of who I am.

I am still:

🎨 A creative who finds joy in painting, photography, and writing.

👯‍♀️ A sister, daughter, and friend who loves to yap on FaceTime.

💞 A wife who cherishes spontaneous date nights and stolen moments of connection.

🤓 An avid newsletter reader, TikTok scroller, and deep-dive researcher of random topics.

Motherhood adds to me and it doesn’t erase me. And while my identity has shifted, expanded, and deepened in ways I never expected, I remind myself daily: 

I am a mother and I am still me.

What about you? Has motherhood changed how you see yourself? Let’s talk, hit reply and let me know. 🤎

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When I first became a mom, I thought “losing myself” meant forgetting who I was. But I’ve realized that evolving isn’t the same as disappearing.

Motherhood stretches us, reshapes us, and yes—at times, it can feel like it swallows us whole. But in those moments, I remind myself: I was a whole person before I was “mother,” and I still am. The challenge isn’t to hold onto the past version of myself, but to make space for all the versions of me that exist now.

Because we deserve that space. We deserve to honor the identities that make us feel alive and that can be through our creativity, friendship, ambition, or simply the quiet joy of solo coffee runs.

So this week, I made something to remind both of us: we are more than one thing.

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Let this be your daily reminder: You are a mother, and you are so much more. 💛

💖 Loving: This soft, everyday necklace with my daughter’s name, because some parts of my identity deserve to be worn close to my heart.

🙉 Listening: Unfortunately, her cries through a trusty baby monitor while we attempt the Ferber method. 

🪞 Noticing: How much I still need the little pieces of myself that existed before I was ‘mom.’

🖌️ Creating: A list of things that make me me, outside of motherhood. Try it and see what comes up!

📚 For the Nest: The little one battled her first little cold, and this nose sucker was a lifesaver. 

🌿 Moving: A solo walk, just me, my thoughts, these cute, comfy sneakers, and a few deep breaths.

☕️ If my pre-mom self and my current self met for coffee, I think she’d tilt her head, study me for a second, and say: “You changed.”

And I’d smile back and say: “Of course I did.”

Because how could I not? Motherhood expands us, stretching our hearts, our patience, and our sense of self. It asks us to evolve but that doesn’t mean we have to lose who we are.

So tell me, how do you make space for both? How do you embrace this version of yourself while holding onto the parts that make you you? Hit reply—I’d love to hear your thoughts. 🤎

Cheers,
Ari
Your fellow mom who gets it