Gender Disappointment

Today I am going to open up about something that no one talks about. 

Something that people look down on. 

Something that women (and men) often hide and bottle up because people judge so harshly. 

Maddie's Fall Photos

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Mommy Wars

27

Another year older, another year wiser. 

27 feels very strange. 

Not because I don't want to grow older, age does not bother me. 

Mostly because I feel older and, simultaneously, younger than 27, but not 27. 

Getting pregnant at 16 made me grow up a whole hell of a lot faster than I was supposed to. I had to make more mature decisions, I had to be responsible for myself and another human, I had to make grown up choices. Bills, work, survival. Instead of the normal teenage dreams. 

Now, 11 years later, I still feel 16 in some ways. 

I look young, and thus still get many of the judgmental stares and glares. I still have people asking me "How old are you?!" with that tone of disapproval. I still have to struggle with doctors and teachers taking me seriously after learning my age. 

And yet, I also feel much older. 

I have endured a much older persons pain. I have had to make decisions I hope that no one would ever have to make. I have had to live with the consequences of my choices. 

Here I am, 27 with 6 children.

These numbers don't scare me. I am grateful for them. 

Here's to another year of life, love, and lessons. 

Zachy & Mommy OOTD: Matchy Matchy

Zach's outfit: 

shirt, jeans, and jacket from Gap

Shoes: Toms

Mommy outfit:

Jacket: Gap

Jeans: AE

Shirt: Mossimo

Shoes: Toms

Stay-at-Home Mom

Mercy

image via huffingtonpost

After enduring a wretched marriage, and a vengeful and malicious divorce where every single thing I have ever done was scrutinized and spread throughout town for others to scrutinize as well, I learned not to judge others. 

We are all guilty of casting judgement in some form or another, but keep in mind that their story is a mystery to you. Take a moment to consider how your story looks from the outside, how my story looks from the outside, how a dear friend's story looks from the outside. Without vital details, you can draw unfounded and unjust conclusions. 

Our society thrives on judgement, and we've all felt the pain of being unfairly judged. 

Never judge a person's actions until you know their motives. 

There is something greater than judgement, and it is called mercy.