{"id":4053,"date":"2012-05-11T00:22:23","date_gmt":"2012-05-11T00:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/?p=4053"},"modified":"2012-05-16T17:39:10","modified_gmt":"2012-05-16T17:39:10","slug":"keep-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/2012\/05\/11\/keep-reading\/","title":{"rendered":"Keep Reading"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
In this space I call \u201cHands Free Mama,\u201d I write about letting go of distraction to grasp what really matters. In my life, distraction comes in two forms: external and internal. And although I began this journey to break free of technology\u2019s grip on my life, I found that my inner critic was just as effective at robbing my \u201cmoments that matter\u201d as my electronic devices. So in honor of Mother\u2019s Day, I offer some healing words. It is my hope that something written in this post will quiet the inner critic living inside a woman you love. Perhaps that woman is you or the one who shares your life.\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

****************************************\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>For the woman who savors a backwards letter in childlike scrawl and secretly hopes \u201cliberry\u201d and \u201cstrawbabies\u201d will never be pronounced correctly \u2026<\/p>\n

For the woman who crawls on achy knees into her child\u2019s tiny bunk bed to read stories and inhale his just-bathed scent\u00a0 \u2026<\/p>\n

For the woman who would prefer a dandelion bouquet carried in a dirt-filled palm over a dozen red roses in a crystal vase \u2026<\/p>\n

For the woman who cries at the sight of her child and cannot explain why \u2026<\/p>\n

For the woman who feels her awkward bulges and morning breath slowly dissipate when a cherub voice says, \u201cYou\u2019re so pretty, Mama\u201d \u2026<\/p>\n

For the woman who is never at a loss for words when it comes to defending her child \u2026<\/p>\n

For the woman whose babies will never, ever become too heavy to carry \u2026<\/p>\n

If this sounds like you, keep reading<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This is not just for Mother\u2019s Day; it is for every day. It is for those who are in pain. It is for those who are healed. It is for those who carry burden. It is for those who have offered a reprieve. It is for the sisters you love and the sisters you have never met. It is for your wife. It is for your girlfriend. It is for your daughter. It is for your dearest love. It is for anyone who has loved a child or cared for someone like a child. It is for anyone who is loved by a child.<\/p>\n

This is for you.<\/p>\n

Keep Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n

For once, may those laugh lines look beautiful in the sun.<\/address>\n
For once, may you allow yourself to come completely undone.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
For once, may you note that your hair has its perks.<\/address>\n
For once, may you feel like you\u2019ve done enough work.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
For once, may you be bored with not a damn thing to do.<\/address>\n
For once, may you worry about no one but you.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
For once, may you feel like your best IS good enough.<\/address>\n
For once, may you know you don\u2019t have to be so tough.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
For once, may you feel like there is only one<\/em> place you need to be.<\/address>\n
For once, may your reflection hold the woman you\u2019ve always wanted to see.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
For once, may you feel like you don\u2019t need to defend,<\/address>\n
Your choices, your schedule, the emotions felt from within.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
For once, may you decide that you are a good mother,<\/address>\n
Breaking free from the guilt and shame that damage and smother.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
For once may you love yourself as much as they do,<\/address>\n
You know, the adoring eyes of your children staring back at you.\u00a0<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
Because it\u2019s not the things you do, and it\u2019s not the thing you say.<\/address>\n
It\u2019s not about bending over backwards and going out of your way.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
It\u2019s not about striving for fake perfection from head to toe.<\/address>\n
It\u2019s not about making homemade bouquets and moist cookie dough.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
It\u2019s about your love, bigger than a harvest moon.<\/address>\n
It\u2019s about your love, always showing up and never leaving too soon.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
For once, may you feel the unconditional love you so freely give.<\/address>\n
For once, may you grasp the beautiful life you\u2019re meant to live.<\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/address>\n
And if you haven\u2019t yet grasped it,<\/address>\n
Keep reading,<\/address>\n
Keep reading,<\/address>\n
Until it finally sinks in.<\/address>\n

\u00a0***********************************************<\/p>\n

If you received this message, it is because someone loves you and wants you to love you, too. Please help spread this message of self-love and acceptance by clicking \u201cshare.\u201d Send it to the women in your life who matter to you.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

**For anyone yearning to let go of distractions that are preventing you grasping the moments that matter, please join “The Hands Free Revolution<\/a>.”\u00a0Daily inspiration and hope is just waiting there for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 In this space I call \u201cHands Free Mama,\u201d I write about letting go of distraction to grasp what really matters. In my life, distraction comes in two forms: external and internal. And although I began this journey to break free of technology\u2019s grip on my life, I found that my inner critic was just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[262,21,18],"tags":[329,766,446,326,42,768,767,765],"gutentor_comment":35,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/IMG_41481-e1336675822699.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1fUJF-13n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4053"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4053"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4053\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}