Welcome Mama,
This is the space for you.
Not the version of you that's always three steps ahead.
Solving,
Serving,
Managing.
But the part of you that aches for pause and for softness.
For the kind of kindness you so freely give to others.
Especially the tiny humans you love so deeply.
If it feels safe,
Gently close your eyes.
And let your body begin to settle.
There's nowhere to go right now.
And definitely nothing to fix.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And exhale softly through your mouth.
Let yourself feel what it's like to land here.
In your very own presence.
You don't need to perform,
Explain or even earn this moment.
You're allowed to just be.
Let your shoulders fall.
Let your jaw relax.
And let the weight you've been carrying.
All the invisible mental lists and emotions.
Let them soften just a little.
Notice the voice in your mind.
Is it rushing?
Planning?
Criticizing?
So often our internal dialogue mimics urgency.
We speak to ourselves like drill sergeants.
Even while being nurturing and patient with everyone else.
Just for now,
See if you can shift the tone.
What if your inner voice sounded like someone who loves you?
Whisper inwardly.
It's okay to not have it all together.
I can soften.
I'm allowed to be human.
Soften the edges of your thoughts.
Like placing them in warm water.
Let them lose their sharpness.
Let them float.
Gently bring to mind a moment from today or recently.
A moment where your words came out more harshly than you'd hoped.
Maybe with your child.
A partner.
Or even with yourself.
Can you hold that version of you with compassion instead of shame?
We carry so much.
And the tone we use often mirrors our inner overwhelm.
Say inwardly now.
I forgive myself for the hard moments.
I'm learning to soften even when I'm stretched.
Imagine speaking to yourself the way you would speak to your child when they're scared or overstimulated.
That same tenderness.
Offer it to yourself now.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Bringing your attention to your body.
Where are you holding?
Where does it feel like you're bracing for the next demand?
Maybe it's in your chest.
Or your neck.
Maybe even in your belly.
And without needing to fix anything,
Just notice.
If it feels supportive,
Place a hand gently over your heart or your belly.
And feel the warmth of your own touch.
Let this touch be a reminder.
A reminder that I am safe in this moment.
A reminder that I can soften here.
Letting yourself feel softness.
In your hands.
Your skin.
Your breath.
You are allowed to feel soft and strong at the same time.
So often the world and even motherhood trains us to stay alert.
Guarded.
Ready.
But softness is not weakness.
It is medicine.
It's how we model to our children what it looks like to care for our insides.
To slow down.
To speak kindly.
To be forgiving with ourselves as we grow.
Every time you soften,
You invite your children into a safer world.
Inside themselves and with you.
Let's return to your breath.
A slow inhale.
And a soft,
Sighing exhale.
As you begin to gently return to the room around you,
Notice if anything feels different.
Not fixed.
Not perfect.
Just softer.
And carry that with you into your next conversation.
Into your next choice.
Into how you see yourself.
You are not alone in this.
And you are allowed to soften.
Even in the middle of it all.
Thank you.
