Life Of a Woman; Ladies of Hive Contest #184

Hello, Ladies of Hive. What an awesome week this is and what beautiful questions we have for this week's contest. Just reading them out loud gave me so much joy.

_{Motherhood is both rewarding and challenging. What has been one of your greatest lessons since becoming a mother?}

I've learned and grown so much since I became a mother that it surprises me too. I'm still catching up on lessons along the way but there is one I consider much more profound. I've since learned that I'm like a mirror and my child is like a sponge that soaks in everything he sees reflecting. This has challenged me to intentionally become the best version of myself because I'm not just doing it for myself. A little human who is clueless about the world depends on me. One who doesn't know his left from right and like a second sight, I have to guide his tiny cute baby feet through the paths of life until he is wise enough to walk the walk by himself.

One time I was mad that he would not stop playing rough so I cautioned him, “Stop that nonsense.” My child repeated after me in that little not-so-coherent voice and I regretted it instantly. I knew I didn't want him to ever go around saying things like that. He had learned that from me who is responsible for teaching him right from wrong. Ever since, I vowed to always be on my best behavior, especially around him.

_{Do you believe that women have a very clear role today in society?}

Society has very well set clear standards and roles for women. Anything outside that bracket is termed unusual, woke, or unconventional. Some women are very comfortable in the roles that society has given them and that's okay. However, some women want more, and others just don't want to conform to society's roles and titles. If our ancestors like Queen Amina of Zaria, Nefertiti, and Candace were brave enough to follow the paths they chose for themselves, why not the women of today?

I believe roles are personal to each woman. When women are allowed to bask in their true nature, shocking discoveries evolve. Despite society mostly relegating women to childbearing, home management, and menial tasks to support men, it isn't uncommon to see women breaking barriers these days. Now you can find women leading in top roles in major industries like business, politics, tech, and entertainment. Women have become father figures in many homes now. Women are at the table influencing decisions that shape the world. Now we are starting to see inclusion in spheres where women were absent or silenced in the past and that's a good thing. To all these women, I applaud their courage and bravery.

_{generated with meta.ai.}

_{What is your favorite memory of your mom?}

Oh, dear mother. My sweetest memory of her is the role she takes when I'm worried about something. She just looks at me with so much love and compassion in her eyes and she says, “It's okay”. Those may sound like simple words to the average person but to me, it is magical. The peace and reassurance that accompanies her words sends a calm to my spirit that instantly, I feel like indeed, everything is going to be okay. It works all the time and how I miss hearing her soothing voice. Then she has that hearty smile that reaches her heart and eyes. Despite what the world threw at her, she still had so much life to give. I still refer to her in the present because she lives in me.