Pre-Order So God Made a Mother

Hey there mama in your 20s.

Can I ask you something? Is this how you pictured this decade of your life? Wiping bums and drippy noses?

Maybe, like me, you envisioned something totally different.

Maybe you saw yourself living your 20s unattached, single, free. Maybe it wasn’t until you found yourself at the start of this decade that you suddenly realized you were meant for something more; meant for being a young mother and raising a young soul, or two, or three. . . during these prime years of your life.

If you had asked me at my high school graduation where I thought I’d be in the not-so-distant future, I probably would have recited any number of things other than this life that I’m living. Yet here I am, falling into bed in an exhausted heap before 9 o’clock, while so many of my same-age peers are only just beginning their nights.

We started this parenting gig young, Mama. We gave the freedom of our youth in exchange for a life of responsibility, and while I’m sure that you—like me—would choose to do it over again a thousand times, that doesn’t mean that it’s without its challenges.

Mama in your 20s, are you like me? Are you the first of your friends to travel down this blessed and windy road?

While we’re at home holding down the fort, our friends are out there living it up.

While we’re wearing second day sweatpants and stained t-shirts over torsos that have been tattooed with stretch marks, our peers are donning the latest fashions on their toned silhouettes.

While our phone storage is filled to capacity with sleeping babies, sweet smiles, and unsteady first steps, the Instagram feeds of other twentysomethings are filled with exotic vacations and evidence of lifestyles as free as they desire them to be.

When we find ourselves knee-deep in motherhood it can be easy to glamorize those tiny squares that tell the story of the carefree life we passed up in exchange for this more demanding one we’re living.

If you’re anything like me, at times you might let your mind wander to those places and wonder what that must be like, skipping through these years without the responsibility of caring for tiny lives day in and day out.

But if you let your gaze fall from the glow of your phone screen long enough to soak in the tiny face, fluttering eyelids, and chubby fingers dreaming peacefully in your arms, your heart will understand that it’s right where it’s supposed to be.

Sweet mama in your 20s, don’t discount all of the blessings those of us in this exclusive club get to claim as our own.

Don’t miss the chance to celebrate the privilege it is to be a young mom.

Don’t overlook the fact that while you may feel like you’re losing your mind at times, you’re also constantly discovering new corners of your heart as it stretches and grows to encompass your love.

Don’t forget to appreciate the sweet mixture of youth and wisdom that has been gifted to you during this season.

Don’t fail to realize that although some of your friendships may disintegrate under the weight of drastically different life stages, you will have new friendships that blossom between yourself and other mothers; friendships that will begin to look a whole lot more like sisterhood as you navigate the world of motherhood side-by-side.

Above all, don’t you ever, ever doubt that being a mother in your 20s is the sweetest, most worthwhile task you could ever undertake during this decade of life.

Yep, mama, we started young.

And we were made for this.

This book is a serious game-changer for motherhood. We can’t put it down! Too busy to sit and read? You can listen here, on Audible.

You might also like:

To the Tired Mom in the Middle of the Night

 

But Mommy, You Were Too Busy

Want more stories of love, family, and faith from the heart of every home, delivered straight to you? Sign up here! 

Yep, mama, we started young. And we were made for this. #newmom #parenting #motherhood

Recommendations in this post contain affiliate links. Her View From Home may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available for pre-order now!

Pre-Order Now

Casey Huff

Casey is a middle school teacher turned stay-at-home-mama to three littles. It's her mission as a writer to shine light on the beauty and chaos of life through the lenses of motherhood, marriage, and mental health. To read more, go hang out with Casey at: Facebook: Bouncing Forward Instagram: @bouncing_forward

Anxious Moms Need Friends Too

In: Friendship, Living, Motherhood
Women hugging outside

When I was 32, my family and I decided to move out of state. The state I had lived in all my life, where almost all my family and friends lived. Most of my friendships were childhood friends or friends I made in college. I made very few new, adult friendships after college. Maybe I felt I didn’t really need to because there was always a friend I could call. Or maybe, I didn’t want to step outside my comfort zone, face possible rejection, and felt it was just easier not to talk to people (hint: it was definitely the...

Keep Reading

A Permission Slip for Creativity

In: Living, Motherhood
Create Anyway book in the middle of kids playing with building blocks on floor

The following is an excerpt from Create Anyway by Ashlee Gadd, available today wherever books are sold! In those first few weeks at home with a milk-drunk newborn in my arms, I Googled every little thing, hopping in and out of online parenting forums, desperate for an instruction manual. Is it normal for a baby to poop six times in one day? Does breastfeeding ever get easier? Underneath my nitty-gritty questions loomed the ultimate insecurity every first-time mom battles: Am I doing this whole motherhood thing right? Just a few months prior, I had quit my pencil-skirt-and-high-heels- wearing marketing job...

Keep Reading

Dear Daughter, It’s Okay If You Hate Me Right Now

In: Kids, Motherhood, Teen, Tween
Teen girl looking up at mother

Dear daughter: I’ve heard it from you a thousand times when you don’t get your way. You yell it when your force of will doesn’t bend mine, thinking it will convince me to give in. But I’m here to tell you once and for all: I don’t care if you hate me right now. Last night you hated me because I made you take a bath before bed. This morning, it was because I made you wear pants. I’m the worst mom ever because I told you to eat a vegetable, and the whole day is ruined because I won’t...

Keep Reading

You’re Learning Life by Watching Me

In: Kids, Motherhood
Child touching mother's face as they lie on a bed

Every morning my daughter and I go outside for some fresh air. She feeds her chickens and plays and explores and walks around with her dog while I follow her around and have a cup of coffee.  This morning, my girl grabbed one of her coffee cups from her toy kitchen and brought it outside with her while she walked with her dog and pretended to take sips out of it.  Guys. I stood there watching her with her toy coffee cup, walking around with her animals, and I cried giant baby tears.  RELATED: I Wasn’t Counting On You Growing...

Keep Reading

The Isolation of Motherhood

In: Friendship, Motherhood
Mom sitting beside stroller, black and white image

During my early years of having children, I can recall feeling like I needed more help with juggling—taking care of my little ones and our home. Although my mother-in-law was only a 10-minute drive away, she was preoccupied looking after my nephew and nieces. Awkwardly, I would only ask if it was really necessary—like a doctor’s appointment or the dentist. Even at church, it was difficult to ask for help—either we didn’t know certain members well enough to entrust our kids to their care or they were friends with children too and that hardly seemed fair to burden them. The...

Keep Reading

What Happens to the Mamas When Their Children Are Grown?

In: Faith, Motherhood
Five children walking hand-in-hand, color photo

A friend came up to me the other day after church and commented, “I’ve never seen you alone. I had to make sure you were okay.” It’s true. I’m never alone. I usually have one or two children hanging onto me and three more milling about with my husband close. But at that moment, my husband had stepped away to collect the younger ones from the children’s service, and my older two had run off with their friends. I was standing alone. And as I stood there, one thought crossed my mind, “This is what it will be like when...

Keep Reading

Hello Midnight

In: Motherhood
Mother in child's room at night

Hello again, Midnight. I wish I could say I was happy to see you. My, what a journey we have had together over the years. I must admit I thought we started out as friends, but as we meet these days, I sense an unkindness about you. Our journey began when I was somewhere around 12. Sure, I had met you in passing on occasion in years prior, but it wasn’t until now that I sought out your companionship. Some middle school girlfriends and I stayed up late, feeling rebellious against bedtime. We were fascinated by the way the world...

Keep Reading

Please Don’t Ask When I’m Having Another Baby

In: Baby, Motherhood
Pregnant woman standing lakeside, color photo

We’ve all been asked it. Maybe once, maybe more times than we can count. Maybe we’ve even asked it ourselves, “When are you trying for baby #2?” It seems harmless, and most of the time it probably is. Pre-baby me never even stopped to consider that it was anything other than a curious, sometimes nosey, question to ask. The mom version of me today feels a completely different way. It’s now deeper and more complicated than it seemed in the past. The mom in me struggles every single time I’m asked this. Struggles to come up with an answer. Struggles...

Keep Reading

I Am a Wrestling Mom

In: Kids, Motherhood
Three young boys with wrestling medals, color photo

As the sun is rising on a frigid winter morning, a brave and determined group of athletes are weighing in at a high school gym. They are physically and mentally preparing for a long day spent at a tournament where they will spend only minutes wrestling, despite the hours they sit and wait all day. Their sport uses offense, defense, and mental strength unlike any other sport. My sons and nephew are wrestlers. They are part of a special team of athletes who work together but compete as individuals.           Their youth team is run by all volunteer coaches with...

Keep Reading

3 Ways to Help Your Firstborn Embrace Becoming a Big Brother

In: Baby, Kids, Motherhood, Toddler
Pregnant woman holding toddler son, color photo

My oldest son turned four right after his first brother was born. Four years of alone time with his parents. Four years of extra mommy time during the week. Four years of having toys to himself, extra attention from family members, and more. I didn’t plan a four-year age gap; it took our family a lot longer and a lot more help than we expected to have our second son, but age gaps aren’t everything. When my second son was finally on the way, I heard a lot of opinions about how our oldest son would feel once he finally...

Keep Reading