Don’t Be a Bag Lady Mom

Dear Diary,

Sometimes we can’t control how much weight we’ll carry as we navigate our way through motherhood. But at times, we need to empty all of our luggage from the past and repack our bags to go in a different direction. I admit–I’ve dropped the ball along the way. Of course this is normal, and we must forgive ourselves for minor mistakes and mishaps. If you’re being hard on yourself because of old baggage from the past, you must dump it out and begin again. Your children deserve that fresh, focused restart. I know some of my stuff comes from my mama who was a hot mess in some ways. Sometimes, if I am not careful, I can hear her when I speak.  These days I mentally try to check myself, breathe, forgive me and just try to do it better the next time around.  But those bags of the past have a way of creeping up on me. Then, I listen to Erykah Badu’s song called Bag Lady.

Bag lady you gone hurt your back
Dragging all them bags like that
I guess nobody ever told you
All you must hold on to
Is you, is you, is you

One day all them bags gone get in your way
One day all them bags gone get in your way
I said one day all them bags gone get in your way
One Day all them bags gone get in your way

So pack light

We need to pack light, because the journey may be long, and that junk from the past is way too heavy.

We have bags of insecurity.

Bags of self loathe and criticism.

Bags of generational and family drama.

We have kid problems, work problems, spouse problems, sibling problems, health problems and enemy problems. You name it, you probably balled it up and threw it into your bag. And it is strapped on our backs, weighing us down and hunching us over. And sometimes it even makes us forget how to stand up straight and breathe free. The Bible says to cast your troubles on him, and he will dump it into the deepest ocean. But sometimes we say, no thank you, I will just carry all of this weight on my own. We drag it along and complain to everyone who will listen. And sometimes they add to your bag, and stuff their issues inside your suitcase.

We all want to think that we have let go of past hurts, but sometimes we’re holding on, gripping the handles and stretching the strap and ourselves too thin. Even if something happened long ago, it doesn’t mean that you have to hold on to them and take them into tomorrow.  Take the lessons learned not the problems. Drop those bags, and run as fast and as far as you can. Run to freedom!  Do you want to know where that place is?

That place is literally only one step ahead of you. Just move forward. And breathe free. And love with no judgments. And laugh with reckless abandon. And forget that those things ever existed. And live, love and laugh.

Pack light because your journey might be long. You are somebody’s mama, and those babies need you to pick them up and be whole and healthy.

Hey DFTM Fam–What’s weighing you down? How are you packing light for the journey ahead?

Catherine Tyson is a married mom of three children, ages 20, 23 and 25, living between Miami, FL and the Cayman Islands. She writes about taking care of oneself in the midst of the angst, chaos and daily stressors of being a mommy. She also shares been there and done that life lessons to encourage, empower and enlighten. She thinks being a mom is by far the best thing that she could have done with her life, and she feels blessed everyday to call them hers. You can follow her journey and read her book Somebody’s Mama by visiting her website.