Ep. 86 - Mommin' Without a Mom - an Interview with Jennifer's Mom, Jackie

Mommin' Ain't Easy the Podcast

Hey everybody! Happy Mother’s Day week! We are thrilled to have you back here with us, as we have a special Mother’s Day episode today! Yes, Mother’s Day is in less than a week (!) and we want you to know just how valued and appreciated you are. There’s a sweet chapter in Rachel Hollis’ book, Girl Wash your Face, entitled “I’m Not a Good Mom.” In it, she describes how there are so many types of moms, the room mom, the hipster mom, the bottle-feeding mom, the working mom, etc... We may not all mother the same, but ALL of us are necessary. She says “whoever you are, whatever you are, you’re adding spice and texture and nuance to this big beautiful soup of modern day parenting.” We had a guest preacher at our church yesterday, and he quoted the late pastor Adrian Rogers emphasizing the same point… “If you and I are exactly the same, that just means one of us is unnecessary.” How true is that! The world (and our babies) need us to be exactly who God created us to be. To grow and learn and be the best version of ourselves (not someone else on Instagram!) because God placed OUR kids in OUR homes for a reason. Let’s choose this week, to honor ourselves on Mother’s Day by agreeing with God that He chose us for our children and He does not make mistakes. Let’s acknowledge that we are worthy to be their mothers and we. are. enough. for. them. And let’s honor our women friends by letting them know what we see in their mothering that is unique to them and necessary and that which inspires us in our own journey.

Now to get on to this week’s episode! We have a special lady joining us today… Jennifer’s mom, Jackie! Jennifer is excited to introduce her to you and have her share her story. Jackie shares how losing her mom as a young teen influenced her own mothering, and we know there are many of you with whom this story will resonate.

Some of the books and tools Jackie shares about that helped in her journey are Motherless Daughters by Hope Edelman, Getting the Love You Want by Harvel Hendrix, Making Peace with Your Past, Making Peace with Your Father, Recovering From the Losses of Life, and Griefshare.

Even after we recorded this, Jackie had so much more to share with us! She wants to encourage anyone who has experienced loss, grief, or suffering (or knows someone who is grieving, to encourage them) to:

• Allow yourself to go through the stages of grief.

• Seek help - whether in individual counseling or support groups.

• Talk to friends.

• Journal your feelings.

• Read books on the specific subjects of what you are going through.

• Make a timeline of your life and see where God has been there through your hurts and losses.

• Recall to mind all God has done for you - gratitude daily.

• Read the Bible daily, especially Psalms, when in need of comfort.

From our “I’m Totally Into…” segment:

Jackie is totally into Oui Yogurt & San Pellegrino Orange Sparkling Fruit Beverage - so yum!!

Courtney is totally into the Playground Buddy App - how awesome is this?

Jennifer is totally into Covergirl Invisible Concealer.

Big thanks to Jackie for joining us this week! We loved having her and hoped you were encouraged and inspired by her and her brave story. We can’t wait to have her back! As fellow mamas, we want to let you know how much we appreciate you! Thank you for joining us in this sweet co-MOM-unity we have over here in this corner of the podcast world! We wish you the happiest of Mother’s Days!!!! Have a great week, mamas!