Inspiring Mama #4 Rebecca McLennan

 

Name: Rebecca McLennan

IG name: bexjomac

Where you currently live: Phoenix, AZ

Your kids names/ages: Birdie 6, Brax 22 months, Brooks 5 months. 

1. What were some of your first thoughts/feelings when finding out you were going to become a mama? We tried for 6 years to become pregnant and were unsuccessful. Then November of 2012 we turned our hearts towards adoption through foster care and in 2013 I finally became a mama three times over. Each of our children came home to us on separate occasions with a bit of their own drama to follow but with each I felt exhilarated and alive! It was almost otherworldly the sea of emotions I felt becoming their mama. I lived off of the excitement, chaos and adrenaline for months. 

 

2. Do you have a motto or quote that has helped you along during motherhood? Yes! I'm a, uh, recovering perfectionist. Early on in my jaunt into motherhood my husband helped me discover my mantra lying in the ruble ofmany mama mistakes and misguided expectations. In fact most days he keeps me accountable and asks if I've said it. "I will not expect perfection from myself, my husband or my children today, Daddy God help me to know more of your heart." I find it helps me put  e v e r y t h i n g  into perspective and reminds me to just let it go. 

3. What has changed the most in your life since becoming a mother?  So much has changed. These kiddos have all my energy and focus, so much of what used to trouble me has no weight anymore because it's simply not worth what energy I have left. I'm settling into myself embracing who I am as a woman and making no apologies for it. It feels really nice! 

4.  If you could teach your child/children one lesson in life what would it be?Because my children came to be mine through misfortunes and brokenness I've concerned myself with making sure they never feel like they are a victim. Yes the specifics of their beginnings are awful but what they've gone through and how they started doesn't define them. If I could teach them only one thing it would be that they are the keepers of their own happiness. Who they are presently, who they'll become and what they'll do in this life is up to them. Teaching them to take responsibility for their own life is high on my priorities list. 

5. How has motherhood changed your mindset (maybe you broke a habit or once had a pet peeve that no longer bothers you)? Since I was a little girl I always imagined myself doing something really important and influential on a grand scale. I placed a lot of pressure on myself to achieve that expectation and lived for years frustrated that I felt I was missing the mark. In the days and months since becoming a mother I've realized that if I do nothing else in this life (although I will) stepping up to be their mother has been really important and influential on a grand scale. These kids needed a loving and nurturing mama and I got to be the answer. 

6. Any advice for new mothers or mothers-to-be? 

While I'm still very new at being a mother myself, my advice would simply be to relax. Yes it is our job as mamas to shape these little humans into respectable citizens of society, and that is important and takes a lot of  hard work and consistency. However at the end of the day what speaks loudest to the hearts of our children is our unconditional love, our understanding and our laughter. Really listen to them, put yourself in their shoes to understand them and very often play and laugh with them. I'm finding that when I do these things regularly with my kiddos I relax, they relax and life is good.