Querien Mangel

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postnatal

August 21, 2024
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Cause isn’t this what we are here for? To be aliv Cause isn’t this what we are here for?

To be alive in the midst of it all?

To do the things that light up our heart no matter how challenging they might seem, to venture off into the unknown with courage and trust, to honour those we meet and come to love, and to carry the grief and sadness wherever we go with reverence - softened by each step we take.

💛
If you wonder why you haven’t received my newslett If you wonder why you haven’t received my newsletter the past few weeks… 🫶😂

#motherhood #becomingamother #matrescence #makingmatrescencemainstream
I used to hate brushing her teeth, as it was alway I used to hate brushing her teeth, as it was always a f/ckn struggle. 

That was until I let go of ‘getting it done’ and turned it into a moment of play.

One day - whilst brushing her teeth - I decided to narrate the adventures of a gnome living in the forest in a mushroom. Doing all the things Effie’s doing. Building a tower, eating lasagna, going to dance class, being angry at something or falling at the playground, having her aunties visit…. this gnome was doing it too.

To my surprise, it worked. Teeth get brushed now without struggle. It worked for me too, as it allowed me to stay calm and present. And for both of us, it became a moment of connection.

Sometimes I catch myself longing for bigger things. Things that might not be possible in the current season I find myself in - moving through matrescence with a toddler and a newborn.

It is moments like these though - brushing teeth, telling stories - that call me right back to the present moment. Reminding me that these everyday moments are sacred. That these small things are full of meaning. 

#matrescence #motherhoodjourney #matrescencematters toddler meaningfullife
A week at home with a sick toddler, I felt like I’ A week at home with a sick toddler, I felt like I’d reached the end of myself.

Overstimulated.
Touched out.
Tired.

And even as my partner was supporting me where he could (sick himself, working from home) I felt lonely, invisible almost.

That’s what society has set us - mothers - up to be. Invisible, alone, unsupported.

This is how we are moving through our matrescence - the physical, emotional, psychological and social process of becoming a mother. One of the biggest transformations in our lives.

It took one message from a dear friend to feel heard and seen again, to feel less lonely whilst navigating my (second) matrescence. 

We need others to hold us, to witness us in our becoming.
We cannot do all of this work by ourselves- even if we were taught to do so.

So if you know a women that has become a mother recently, consider a small act of rebellion: listen to her, make her feel seen. All it takes is one message. ✨

#matrescence #matrescencematters #makematrescencemainstream #motherhoodjourney
JOURNEY WITH ME

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