Magical Chaos – spinning through the Chrysalis of Adolescence with our Daughters’

This is it! I’m finally getting what’s been in my heart out onto a page for all of you to read and journey with me…… or should I say us?…… through.

I remember when I was a new parent, even a newlywed, having all of these incredible women around me that I could look up to and ask questions and tap into for the knowledge I needed for those very precious new moments in my life. Those women have always been there, even to this day and I value their experience and their advice, input and example. They have helped shape my thinking as a wife, mom and woman.

And yet, as I have wandered the swipes and images of the social media world – I have also seen many beautiful woman that are exactly that for others as well and it’s awesome, empowering and amazing…….. but, mainly for a “certain” stage in their lives and their relationship with their precious miracles.

There seems to come a “time” where it tapers off, where the focus shifts off of the journey with the cherub faced angels and onto just being a woman and what that’s all about……. Where did the cherubs go? What’s happened to them? Where are the “how to” steps to the tween stage and the beautiful transition that takes place? Or has it just been me? And if you have tweens like mine – you were probably told, “don’t talk about me online – I have rights!” right? Or “don’t embarrass me by telling my stuff online”

So, this has been pumping through my veins for the last 5 years (sad I know) but I’m finally putting it out there and sharing how we’re doing this journey. I honestly had to get permission from my “cherubs” to do this, after discussing with them the importance of sharing about “my” experience and that they should know it’s not about them so much any more. And I bet there’s someone out there, like me, that is literally pulling their hair out and trying to figure out what to do with this hormone roller coaster that has suddenly begun to twirl itself in and through our home.

I must admit that, as their mother – I was kind of looking forward to it and was “at the ready” a few years ago – but if it hadn’t been for “those women” that have gone before, that answered my questions, talked openly about their challenges and shared their vulnerabilities – I would have been terrified and caught off guard.

It breaks my heart to know that something that should be so beautiful and awe inspiring has terrified so many parents and so many mother’s out there, that instead of pride and surety, daughters are left shy, shamed and fending for themselves. Also relationships have become harder and more of a chore because of something that “broke” when the chaos started to happen.

I decided that (with my daughters’ permission…… which is something you don’t have to get from a toddler) I am now allowed to share our journey leading up to this point and going forward.

I am extremely grateful to them for being so open to this and sharing their unique stories with us. Over the coming 2 weeks you’ll get to know them from a different angle and I really hope it opens the floodgate to journeying together with you through the beautiful highs and lows of what we have embraced as “Magical Chaos” – To be honest, the gorgeous Shante Hutton knighted this with that phrase.

But I’m not alone. To celebrate this moment, I approached 4 other mother’s who have gorgeous daughters – Cindy Alfino, Celeste Jonkers, Nicole Mcenderry and Zikhona Tefu –  and asked them to answer some simple, yet personal, questions about themselves and what they hope to do and have with their daughters through the beauty of adolescence and becoming a woman.

When I thought through how we could get this across visually and with the impact of truth I’d like to communicate – she was the first person I thought of.

She has the ability to capture heart, thought, mood and tone in an image by bringing it out of the subject she is pointing her lens at.

What you will see, are 5 strong mothers with their gorgeous daughters embracing not only each other but what life will or already has thrown at them. It may be chaotic, confusing and a straight up mess, but we have chosen to see each other, love one another and make the hard choice to make the chaos, magical. This, my fellow mothers – makes for an empowered generation of women.