If you’ve been raising kids through the craziness of this world, you are a hero whether you feel like one or not. To be a mom is to risk your heart, forever unprepared and courageous as you follow a winding path you’ve never navigated before. I don’t want to create more martyrdom in the mother role by waving the hero flag too high though. The standards we expect moms to live up to are inflated enough already! 

I love my children fiercely, and I am already feeling all the feels of my oldest leaving home this summer. It doesn’t mean that every day I’m basking in the glow of family though. Like you, I am my own person with my own emotional bandwidth, daily multi-tasking the mundane. Instead of heroism, I’d like to celebrate and elevate our humanity this year. Here are a couple Mother’s Day gifts in this spirit:

FREE TALK FOR MOMS HAVING A HARD TIME STAYING CENTERED

Originally presented at an online summit last summer, this twenty minute audio is straight talk for moms about releasing pent up emotions. Particularly useful if you’ve been struggling with keeping your cool and not finding the time for self-care (especially if you have kids still living at home with you).

FREE MOTHER’S BOOK GUIDE FOR LESSONS OF LABOR

This self-help memoir came out when I still had little ones, and it’s relevant not only to moms, but to anyone who struggles with letting go of control. I was recently asked by my publisher to write an article on The Story Behind the Book, if you’d like to hear more of the backstory. And if you’re currently reading or have read the book already, here’s a link to a Free Reader’s Guide with contemplative journaling, discussion, and meditation practices to use on your own or with a book club. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can find Lessons of Labor at the MSI Press Bookstore, Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon, with a discounted Kindle promotion going on all week.

In celebration of the Mothers, the Grandmothers, and the Spirit of Unwavering Nurturing Love,

Julia Aziz

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