There are seasons of motherhood — and of life — when we start to feel like strangers to ourselves. We move through the motions, showing up for everyone else, checking off the endless list of needs, and somewhere along the way we stop showing up for ourselves. We smile, we give, we love — but inside, it feels like we’ve faded into the background of our own story.
I created this space for moms who know what it feels like to hide behind a mask. For those of us who carry quiet stories we don’t speak of — stories of exhaustion, of doubt, of sadness that we tuck away because we think they make us weak. Stories we keep in the dark because we feel ashamed, because we tell ourselves no one would understand, because we’ve been taught to “just be grateful” and keep moving.
We don’t talk enough about what it feels like to lose yourself in the middle of it all. To wake up one day and barely recognize the woman in the mirror. To feel small and invisible, even as you pour yourself into everyone around you. To give and give without realizing you’re empty.
And here’s the truth — I know this feeling because I am living it.
Lately, I’ve been wrestling with my own reflection, searching for the version of myself I lost somewhere in the shadows. I’ve been questioning who I really am now, now that life looks so different from what I thought it would. The weight of self-doubt presses in some days like a fog, and my sense of self-worth feels fragile, cracked around the edges.
It’s hard to admit. Hard to even write these words. But I believe we need to start saying these things out loud — not just for ourselves, but for each other. Because when we share the stories we’ve been hiding, we create space for someone else to do the same. And sometimes, just knowing that someone else has felt what you’re feeling can be enough to keep going.
This is what I hope this space becomes — a community for every mom who feels unseen, unheard, or unsure of who she is anymore. A place where you don’t have to pretend. Where your struggles don’t make you unworthy, and your dreams don’t make you selfish. A place where we can lift the mask and take a breath.
While I work to rediscover the woman I buried long ago, I hope you find your way back to yourself too. Together, we can write the next chapter — one filled with strength, even if it looks different than before.
So if you’re here, know you belong. Your story matters. Your heart matters. And you don’t have to hide anymore.
With love,
Masked Mom
Leave a comment