4 min read
Motherhood and identity: finding yourself again while raising a family
Real mothers on the season of disappearing into a family — and the way back to themselves.
How do mothers keep their own identity?
Mothers on Women Rising America describe losing themselves gradually, through love rather than neglect. The way back, they say, starts small: one hour that's yours, one friend who knew you before, and permission to want something for yourself without guilt. Their children, they find, benefit from seeing it.
It happens quietly
No one in the series describes a moment they stopped being themselves. They describe years of putting everyone else first, and one day noticing they couldn't name what they wanted.
Coming back to yourself
What helped was rarely dramatic: friendships, faith, therapy, creative work, a business idea that wouldn't let go. Each woman found her own door — and kept it open.
“I'm not a mom and I'm not your mom”
Women who've lived this
Elaine Damschen
Born to a Vietnamese mother who fled war-torn Vietnam and an American father who served in the U.S. Army, Elaine Damschen grew up in northern Idaho, where she learned the values of hard work, resilience, and perseverance.
Anne Carr
From the Australian outback mining town of Broken Hill to the heart of Silicon Valley, Anne’s journey is full of grit, curiosity, and a passion for empowering others. A former National level athlete in multiple sports, and recipient of the prestigious Commonwealth Full Sporting Blue for Volleyball, Anne graduated from Flinders University with a degree in Psychology and Sociology before embarking on a solo, 3 1/2 year backpacking adventure around the world that eventually led her to California.
Lane Dailey
Lane Dailey loves her career as a Certified Life Coach, Registered Dietitian, and Executive Nutrition Business Manager. A “jack of all trades,” Lane lives by the motto, “Never Give Up”—a philosophy life has repeatedly given her the opportunity to embrace.