Who am I? Am I a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend? Who am I?

The reason I am asking is because many young women loose themselves in relationships, in motherhood, in friendship. I had once lost myself and am know in the process of regaining my ability to see me, hear me, and be me.

I have been with my husband for 12 years. We have been together since we were 18 years old. We made two beautiful daughters together and I am thankful for them. But, in that process of becoming a wife and a mother, I forgot who I was. My sole being was to take care of my kids and my husband. I stayed at home for the first 3 years of my oldest daughters life and 5 years of my baby girls life. So, that made me a housewife, or shall I say a "house slave". I stayed home took care of the kids, cooked, cleaned, lost friends, goals, hopes, and dreams. I only did what I was expected to do and not what I wanted to do, or what I knew that I could do. Once, each one of my kids were old enough I took a look at my life, at myself (body, appearance, happiness. I thought to myself "what happened to the old me"? What happened to the hopes and dreams that I once had? What happened to the career I was so destined to have? Then it hit me "What happened to me was LIFE!"

So many times women get married and have kids and make their whole lives about their marriage and their kids. And, do not get me wrong there is nothing wrong with that. Because, I will die for my children and they are the best thing in this world that has happened to me. But, at the same time I lost myself in motherhood and marriage. I put my life, all of my hopes, goals, and dreams on hold to take care of my kids and my husband. Then one day I woke up and realized that I wasn't happy and hadn't been happy in all of those years. I was just doing what I was expected to do, and not what I could do. There is nothing wrong with have a life of your own and still finding time for your marriage and your kids. Women seem to loose themselves a lot of time in this type of situation and there are ways to have all that you dreamed of and more. So many things happen in LIFE, that we as women have to make so many sacrifices dealing with what we need to do and what we have to do.

What I am really trying to say is "Who am I"? I am a mother, a friend, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a poet, an artist, a psychologist!!! I am everything I dreamed of being and more. And, so are many women out there who have lost there way, or lost focus, or lost there self-being. Keep that light shining and even though you might think you have lost all your self-worth and self-being, just follow that light and you will find yourself again, and this time you will be bigger and better than before.

Peace and Blessings