‘CROSSING’ EXCLUSIVE COLUMN BY LORRAINE D’ALESSIO
A LETTER TO THE MODERN MOM
ALL MOMS ARE MULTI-HYPHENATES MOVING THE EARTH Given the state of the world, the pace that life is moving at, and the nonstop demands of working within a global industry, finding the time to slow down and reflect on the big picture can be a difficult task. My career and business require me to be on-the-go, both physically and mentally, but I’m working on slowing down from time to time to take it all in. Working with professionals and artists from all across the world requires me to be on call for a long portion of the day, and ready for conference calls, consultations, or team meetings during hours most would associate with deep sleep. My body is here, now, but my mind can be in any given time zone depending on the day.
But nonetheless, it’s important that I press pause regularly to remind myself of why I do this. Why some nights are sleepless and why some flights feel endless. I use this time to also think about the various people I have in my life that enable me to pursue my dreams and the support I receive from my family, friends and team that allows me to conquer the challenges I face.
This year for Mother’s Day, I counted my blessings and thought about what it means to be a Modern Mom in 2021. Every mom working and learning through motherhood is a multi-hyphenate in my book.
“Being a Modern Mom means we don’t have to choose one identity…" We’re artists in the way that we paint creative solutions to the problems our families face. We’re athletes in the way we build up our stamina to clear the hurdles thrown in our way. Coaches in the way we exercise our children to build up strong muscle memory to overcome obstacles through practice, teachers in the way we provide the vocabulary and tools our families need to move in the world. We’re business people in the way we budget and negotiate, gardeners for the way we inspire growth, entrepreneurs in the ways we pursue opportunities for ourselves and for our families. And so much more.
Being a Modern Mom means we don’t have to choose one identity that best encapsulates who we are. But if there is one title that defines the totality of the Modern Mom - it is ‘a world builder’. We bring life into this world and foster a space for life to grow. There are no borders that can contain us. And while we do have goals we are working towards, there is just as much reward in the journey, as well as the lessons we help our children learn along their own path.
While quarantine and a global pandemic put some semblance of normal life on hold, the world still spins. Despite the shifting tides that may hold us back, there’s still the ever-increasing challenge of maneuvering through unfamiliar waters to reach our goals. Whether that be within the context of our professional lives or personal ones, the Modern Mom knows a thing or two about these challenges. 133 AWARENOW / THE MAYDAY EDITION
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