The Poor Mom Revolution

     When I first started this blog writing journey I was driving home from work. I was thinking about all the things that have happened and where I wanted to be and was going through all these different scenarios in my head. Basically, I wanted to compile what my niche would be and what I wanted to share with my readers. I realized that I have always been asked and given a lot of advice about different situations I’ve experienced and been in, whether it was dealing with the highs and lows in a relationship, mental health, quitting my job and changing professions, or simply just overall parenting. I started thinking about how most of the times I’ve had these deep and meaningful conversations were with women and families who felt uncomfortable having them in the first place. Many of the topics on how they were feeling or wanting more information about was taboo and they didn’t know who to talk about it with. Let’s be real… it can be scary and intimidating! Constantly battling whether or not you’ll be judged for thinking or feeling a certain way in regards to sharing your truth. 

     Then it hit me, that the blog I wanted to write would be about shared experiences that may be difficult to say out loud. It would be a show of bravery on my part to finally let others in as I tend to be quite closed off and private. I wanted others to know that their feelings are valid and they’re not going through any of this alone. That’s when I started playing with the revolution aspect of my name. I wanted to be a part of something that allowed people to feel more comfortable and confident sharing everything. I honestly don’t think that we ‘should’  have specific topics of conversation, especially relationship struggles and mental health, be a subject that nobody wants to share and in turn having so many of us struggling in silence. 

     I used to feel like my feelings were a burden on other people, but I’ve come to terms that my feelings, thoughts, stories and experiences can be powerful. If I’ve struggled through something and have even a hint of advice to share with someone who needs a reminder….I’m here for it! I’m a girls girl and will be a listening ear no matter what. We’ve all gone through our own kind of hell and we’ve come out stronger, braver and more independent because of it! Instead of being scared or embarrassed, I think we should wear it as if it’s a badge of honor. 

     Now I’ve gotten questions about the reason behind the name as I decided to go with Poor Mom Revolution. The name actually came to us in a backwards fashion.  Now the revolution part for me was easy. My husband and I were brainstorming words about evolving or changing as the word for the blog needed to be strong! It needed to fully encompass everything it took to get where I am and that word stuck out like a sore thumb. Obviously I knew my niche would involve motherhood in some capacity. Some of the hardest times I’ve experienced were after becoming a mom and dealing with my own insecurities, added external pressures, my mental well-being or lack thereof and balancing my work/life balance. I wanted this blog to be therapeutic and a way to get my thoughts down on paper. I wanted other moms to know how much we all struggle in silence for a million reasons and to know there are people around them that will support them without judgment.

     The final word was probably the hardest one for me. When most people describe themselves, the word poor isn’t very high up on their list. It doesn’t tend to be something you’re proud of or share aloud. Being poor can mean different things for a variety of people. The dictionary definition is lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society. In my mind, this definition can be left up to interpretation as the word “normal or comfortable” is in fact subjective based on who you’re talking to. I’ve had discussions with a few people about my ability to use the word poor when referring to many of the struggles that my family faced through the years. I think the fact that I never “acted” poor, shared our experiences, and we always appeared to have basic necessities taken care of made it seem far-fetched. Anyone who has actually been in a similar situation knows that it’s never as picture-perfect as it seems from the outside. Some families find themselves poor for short periods of time while others live in it every single day. 

     Poor for us was situational. There were years when our monthly child care payment was equivalent to my paycheck. Poor to us was needing to take government assistance as I lost my job 2 days before having a baby. Poor to me was running out of oil and not knowing how we were going to heat the house through winter until our next paycheck. Poor to me was having the electricity shut off until you can pay the minimum payment and having to argue due to having young kids at home.  Working poor to me is being one problem away from disaster.

     This blog is about my journey of learning to make it on my own and figure out all the stuff that happens in between. Life is hard enough without the judgments from others so I feel like it’s time we take that power back. My story, like many of yours is a part of something incredible. A journey of change and self discovery. It’s more of a badge of honor than something to be ashamed of. This is story about a Poor Moms Revolution!