A Few Thoughts on Motherhood

As the church celebrated all mothers in the assembly, I looked at her and my heart felt so full of gratitude and happiness knowing that every single day, she celebrates me too — through her spontaneous hugs, the little nicknames she gives me, the time we spend together, and her affection.

Even the fact that I am the one she comes to when she needs comfort or a listening ear is, in its own way, a form of love and appreciation. Feeling seen all year long through all the little “thank you, mom” moments.

We mothers give without expecting anything in return. Everything we do comes from love and from the heart, but there is also a sense of duty in motherhood. Being a mom is still a full-time role where you must show up every single day — without days off or accumulated vacation time.

And there’s a funny paradox in all of this:feeling deeply grateful to live this role, feeling fulfilled by our children’s love… while also sometimes feeling overwhelmed seeing all the Mother’s Day posts and gifts shared on social media.

I’ve often hoped to feel “seen” through a special gift — not because of the price or the quantity, but because it felt thoughtful and meaningful.

Yet the older I get, the more I realize that simply feeling loved and knowing that a genuine thought came from her is already more than enough.

Coming back to my faith these last three years has also made me more mindful and reflective about life — not only as a mother, but also as a daughter and as a child of God.

It’s strange how becoming a mother somehow brought me back to being a daughter too.

The older I get, the more I think about all the quiet things mothers carry that nobody else sees but God.

And maybe that is also how my faith feels different now than it did years ago.

I see God less in the big moments and more in the everyday love, patience, forgiveness, and presence we try to give the people we love — especially our mothers.

The older I get, the more I realize that some of the greatest gifts in life don’t come wrapped.

They look like coffee dates with my mother.Spontaneous hugs from my daughter.Ordinary conversations with both my mom and daughter.Quiet presence.Another morning God allows us to share together.

And maybe that’s what motherhood has taught me most:love is rarely found in grand gestures,but almost always in the everyday moments we could have easily overlooked.

Balance VS Perfection

Do you feel overwhelmed, despite your best efforts? What if what you think is the solution is actually what’s holding you back from what you truly seek?

Perfection is often seen as the ultimate goal – the desire to be our best, improve our habits, or reach the next level in our goals by constantly challenging ourselves. And why not? But the problem arises when the pursuit of “better” turns into a chase for “more.” This shift can lead to frustration and burnout because, let’s face it, true perfection is rarely attainable.

On the other hand, finding balance means accepting our limits and creating harmony among our priorities. It’s about adjusting to our reality, recognizing that balance isn’t static. While perfection can become an obsession, balance evolves over time, shaped by our changing needs and circumstances. Perfection often remains unrealistic in the face of the unexpected.

Balance promotes mental well-being and lasting satisfaction, whereas the constant pursuit of perfection can lead to stress and anxiety.

Balance is a journey we can genuinely enjoy. It’s a path that allows us to nurture our dreams while respecting our pace, cultivating our well-being, and staying true to our values and priorities.

Becoming "the best version of yourself": an ideal or a trap?

What if the idea of becoming ''the best version of yourself'' was just an illusion? Is it really what we’re seeking? Discover how to accept who you are while evolving, and how to find a balance between perfection and authenticity.

Some of you might not agree with me, while others, like me, may have already thought about it this way.

Four years ago, I got into the personal development world. I’ve lost count of the number of books I've bought or borrowed from the library on the subject. Everything focuses on how to become the "best version of yourself." As this sentence is supposed to be a motivating mantra, I wonder if this idea is truly inspiring or if it creates unnecessary pressure and constant frustration instead. Becoming a better version implicitly says that we’re not enough.

In my view, the idea of becoming the "best version of oneself" is a process of transformation aimed at reaching a fixed, idealized notion of perfection. In seeking to reach that ideal, it’s easy to fall into the trap of constant self-judgment, where we question our choices and actions, never feeling fully satisfied.

The obsession with this quest for the "best version of us" is exhausting, especially with the ever-changing standards we must conform to. Between trying to be more productive, more zen, more ambitious, having a better physique, and the images on social media that impose standards of beauty, success, and happiness, we can quickly find ourselves burdened with an enormous weight.

Could aiming for personal evolution, while staying true to ourselves, offer a healthier, more enriching, and balanced approach? This approach, more natural and fluid, is a continuous process. It’s an invitation to grow, learn from our mistakes, adjust, and accept ourselves as we are, with our strengths, weaknesses, and resources. It’s about taking our current reality into account and, above all, respecting ourselves.

In my opinion, the key is finding balance between self-acceptance and the desire to evolve. Accepting who we are today doesn’t mean stopping there. On the contrary, from this acceptance comes the power to evolve while staying true to ourselves. It’s a process that requires patience, kindness, and a lot of letting go.

The goal isn’t to strive for an ideal, but to give ourselves permission to grow at our own pace. It’s about building solid foundations and accepting that, sometimes, less is more. It’s about celebrating each small victory, adjusting without guilt, and walking the path of constant learning, all while celebrating the freedom to simply be ourselves.