Taking Back the Mic

I feel like I’ve tried to write my next episode a hundred times in my head—and honestly, I probably have.

If I told you I’ve spent the last four months thinking about what I truly want out of this podcast, that would be a lie. I’ve actually spent the last four months reeling as a mom—grieving, surviving, and trying to make sense of a trauma that hit our family so hard it knocked me into another dimension. It’s like I’ve been watching my own life unfold from the outside.

I could say I was surprised by that—that I didn’t know why I felt so detached. But that, too, would be a lie. I’ve spent most of my adult life supporting and uplifting others. Always the first to help and NEVER the one to ask, I’ve made independence an art form. I’ve spent this time—even these past 10 years in my motherhood—looking after everyone else. Keeping the one part of me that I didn’t want anyone to ever hurt again wrapped in a cocoon so tight I almost suffocated her—my inner voice. The innocent child who makes me—ME.

This may be where I lose you—but I promise—keep going, it gets better.

Naturally, in the beginning phases of my podcast, I was trying way too hard to think about what other moms might want to hear. And let’s be so fucking for real—no mom actually wants another mom’s advice on how to parent. So I shifted my focus. I started thinking about what moms might not even realize they need to hear.

And that, my friends, is where the mess lives. It’s where our insecurities hide, where we measure ourselves against someone else’s highlight reel, where we cry in the shower because the fight with our spouse was too much—and we still have to put on a brave face for the kids.

Motherhood is messy. And so are the moms who are stretching, growing, and evolving—just the way we’re supposed to.

What I’ve learned is that it’s in the mess—the raw, unfiltered, beautifully chaotic mess—where we learn the most.

So I’m taking back the mic. And this time, I’m going to let the chaos of my life take up space in my writing. This is Mama Knows Mess. It’s supposed to be chaotic. It’s supposed to be messy.

Because yes—we’re moms. But we were women first.

We’ve struggled through the same fears, insecurities, and heartbreaks our kids will one day face—and most of us did it while still raising ourselves. Whether your journey began with an unexpected “oops” like mine or through years of longing and heartbreak, it doesn’t matter. Because this is where our paths meet: we became moms, and that changed everything.

We stopped worrying about how we were being fulfilled and started worrying about fulfilling everyone else’s needs. We became experts in overthinking—about snacks, milestones, and whether our kids were thriving enough by the world’s impossible standards.

And somewhere in all that over analyzing… we lost sight of who we were.

I lost who I was. I started this podcast as a love letter to my younger self—to my inner child—to tell her that even though I let go of her hand years ago, I’m back now. And I’m never going to ignore her again.

If you’re a mom on this same messy, beautiful journey—and I believe every mother is—this is your space too. Stay awhile. Get comfy. Let’s be real together.

xoxo,
Heather