Real Talk: Lessons from the Women before us.
Mother's Day is only a couple of days away and this special occasion had us thinking about the women who have influenced us, through to the imperfections and joys of motherhood.
We put out a call to our PF fam to share real stories from the women that inspire them, in the hope it would connect, inspire and provide support to one another.
The current global crisis has had a profound impact on the way we communicate and go about our everyday life. More than ever, It's important that we check up on our mothers, aunts, grandmothers, mum friends and carers.
Nat B
“My parents got divorced when I was 14 years old. The divorce put a lot of financial pressure on my mother because at that time she also had chosen to start her own business. Over the years she stressed about money like many of us do, but she always made sure we had plenty of food on the table and often said “food is something we don’t skimp on” and to this day It's something I don’t compromise on for my family. I would rather go without takeaway coffee or new clothes, if it means I can provide healthy nutritious meals for my family.”
Emma K
“I remember from my early teen years that my mum would always teach me about taking care of my skin and maintaining correct posture. She would always educate me on moisturising day and night and being conscious of the way I stand. I would get told off if I was slouched. There were many eye rolls from myself but I always knew deep down that she was only telling me for my own benefit. I’m 31 today and she still reminds me haha.”
Kismet B
“My mum is my best friend and always has been. We have kept an incredibly close bond and that is something I will be grateful for always. The one piece of advice she gave me was to always treat everyone the same. It doesn’t matter if their the CEO or the cleaner. Everyone is equal and deserves the same respect. This is something I will instil in my children one day.”
Liia V
“My family’s journey to relocate across the other side of the world has given me strength to know that I can adapt to any situation. This lesson applies to women: what makes us stronger is knowing who we are and not relying on how others define us. I remember the strength my mother carried for my entire family. She made it her priority to ensure we were well-educated, fed and loved under one roof. I imagine she would have been scared of moving to a new country and starting over but that only made her stronger.
Being a wife to a caring and supportive husband and a mother to two wonderful children gives me the strength to look for solutions no matter what the circumstance."
Carina R
“When I became a new mother to a beautiful little girl, it was not what I imagined. There are all of these preconceptions of how being a new mum should feel like and for some reason I was not feeling those happy feelings. I was really struggling to be honest. I had a baby who wouldn’t settle, was suffering terrible colic and on top of that I was feeling exhausted and completely not myself.
My mum would call my every single day to check up on me and talk me through some difficult situations. We would cry together, laugh, joke and just listen. She is truly my angel and I don’t know what I would do without her. I know that I can get through anything and It's all because of this loving and nurturing woman in my life.”
Thank you again to everyone who shared their stories. It's not always easy to share openly and we want to say that we appreciate your openness and honesty. We hope that these stories provide some comfort for all women out there. We are all so much stronger than we realise.
PF x