Welcome to The Mom Flow, where I share things that are on my mind in the hopes of helping you connect to your Mom Flow. Thanks for being here! —Erin Sousa
Talking about feelings
The other day Roberto and I were watching TV and he said to me “every time I see an ad for this TV show, it reminds me of your mom because I know she would have loved it”. My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers 6 years ago, and it has thrown our world into sadness ever since. It taught me that two things can exist at once, pure joy and the profound sadness of losing the person who loved you the absolute most. The deep despair that can creep in to my day when I think about how much I miss her, how she would have wanted to participate in our life and would have been so damn good at it, and how much, at 43, I still need my mom, but moreover, want to know her as a person now that I’m a mom myself. The moment Roberto said it, I felt such a relief, the relief that came with the topic being brought up, and me being able to talk about my mom openly, letting my feelings creep out to the surface. I know that I can talk to Roberto about it anytime, but it’s a hard thing to talk about, and it makes me so deeply sad, that I find I avoid it. I also don’t like to ‘burden’ others with that sadness. Him recognizing my mom in a seemingly mundane moment made me feel like my mom mattered and the knowing of her struck my right to the core. I sent him a text when I went to bed: “Thanks for mentioning my mom and letting me talk about her. It’s really hard holding it in all the time”.
He responded with: “Babe. I think about your mom all the time. All the times I had with her and sadly all the times I haven’t had with her. I’m always here to talk about your mom. I know how hard it is for you to share because it makes you want to scream and cry and stay in bed doubled over in grief. I’m here always”.
It all made me realize how much I hold in about how I feel losing my mom – I allow myself to cry and feel alone, but doing it with my husband felt very cathartic. It was such an important reminder to speak your feelings out loud because it helps, a LOT.
Current hyper fixation meal
I found a new fun and quick meal that I want to share because it’s gonna be in regular rotation! It’s a crispy rice tuna bowl that is so filling.
CRISPY RICE TUNA BOWL
Cooked rice (season with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar)
Tuna salad (mix canned tuna with mayo, dijon, herbs of choice, veggies like peppers)
Avocado
Press rice mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet you’ve drizzled with avo or olive oil and bake at 400 degrees until bottom is golden and crispy
Add to bowl, top with your tuna mixture and avocado. I add hot sauce to mine!
Make extra for leftovers because you’ll be glad you did.
Confidence boosting tips
“Confidence is not something you feel, it’s something you build by taking action despite fear or uncertainty.” – Mel Robbins
I recently read this quote and it kinda kit that spot. I’ve been popping my toes out of my comfort zone in 2024 with so many things in both my personal and professional life. Stepping into some main character energy and I have to say, I highly recommend. Between buying a new home (OMG when I say I have no idea how we freaking did that), new ventures like the very first Mom Flow Event, and speaking engagements that scared me, I feel this quote hard, and defo see the truth in it. I feel a self-confidence boost for sure and also a sense of pride in not letting myself get stagnant. I have also learned that there is a timing to our life and we do have different seasons. At the beginning of 2024, I felt out of balance and intentionally slowed down to work on me, give myself some space I needed to just come back to myself… sounds a bit hokey sure, but I swear it set the tone for the year. Scaling back on work and pouring into my cup felt amazing. At the same time, gosh, it felt scary and uncertain. Embracing the seasons as they come is my new vibe.
There’s more! Keep reading this week’s edition of The Mom Flow by Erin Sousa; subscribe for free to receive new posts and support her work, here!
share:
Be the first to comment