The Myth of a Mother's Love


Exactly one week ago, I wrote these words:

"I haven't published a post about motherhood on Olive and Tate in what feels like forever and there's a reason why. About a month ago, I wrote what I think is my most heartfelt and "put it out there" motherhood essay and it has left me feeling all of the feels (mainly, totally exposed). I know my words won't be met with complete understanding and will potentially draw some negative feedback, but the topic is incredibly personal to me and the post needed to be written. It took me 18 months to finally find the right words and now they sit in my drafts folder, waiting to be published.

All that I ask is that even if you don't understand my experience or share similar feelings, you consider that maybe another mother you love knows exactly what I'm talking about. So, with her in mind, please try to be thoughtful in your responses and commentary.

Here's a little sample:

 "In the hours and days after I gave birth I waited. I waited for the tidal wave of feelings, the rush of extreme love that every other mother was telling me I should be feeling. I waited and it never happened. I never changed."

Many of you reached out after I published the excerpt of "The Myth of a Mother's Love" to tell me that you've felt similar feelings or wished you could have said the right thing to a friend who was going through a similar experience. Thank you to each of you for your kind words - my hope is that I was able to tackle this topic with a little bit of grace and a lot of understanding.  

To read the full article, head to the Huffington Post