I recently began watching a documentary series lately called The Beginning of Life, the series, available on Netflix. It is so well done- I have loved each episode so far and I’ve just finished the second. I particularly appreciate the honesty and different perspectives the second episode highlights about becoming a parent. So many of the interviews that people shared struck a chord and resonate deeply with my own experiences of transitioning into a mother. One woman put it so perfectly, becoming a parent is not all that Hollywood demonstrates it to be. There are some real hardships, challenges, difficulties and tensions that you can never anticipate or prepare for. The topics and thoughts that the real parents interviewed shared are particularly poignant for me to watch now because they talk about things I still struggle with each day as a parent to a toddler, including: learning how to prioritize myself, trying to stop making assumptions, remembering to let my husband father in his own way, seeing my child for who he is, struggling with what society tells you to do, how to deal with the hard thoughts and emotions that come up, etc.
Often, I think people focus on the positive parts of becoming a parent and it is extremely hard to really put all those wonderful, beautiful, powerful feelings into words and do it any real justice. Being a parent is like the best but hardest thing in the world to do- it’s like falling in love and being heartbroken all at once. You gain so much but also you can so easily lose yourself very quickly as well. In the beginning, you are so overwhelmed with strong emotions, your hormonal and your physically at your absolute limit. But when you look at your baby it’s like you’ve found perfection and you feel overwhelmed with joy and love- you radiate with it. I remember crying tears of pure joy (and exhaustion) when I first looked at my son. My husband literally glowed when he held our son in his arms for the first time. Juma is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. But he also challenges me, pushes me to question myself and I struggle so much with finding a way to remain true to who I am and prioritize being a parent. The struggle is very, very real.
I highly recommend any one who’s on their journey to becoming a parent or already one to watch this documentary episode. Or even those of you who’ve consciously chosen not to be parent, it’s a fascinating show to explore and just think about your own parents in a different way perhaps. I think it sheds light on some really interesting, inherent truths that we should reflect on and spend time pondering around parenting and the beginnings of life.
Please help to comment on how your experiences around the transition to parenthood and/or any meaningful resources you’ve watched/read about it as well.
K Space 