Some days we go to play at the park and it’s just empty like this. I have to work hard here to find people to play with. By Alicia Barnes, liciabobesha.com In my rural, southern town there aren’t any of the meet ups I hear moms going to. There is a MOPs chapter about 20…
➠ Continue ReadingFamily is an important hallmark of Black culture. It used to be that teaching kids how to value family was pretty straightforward, even when generations were separated geographically. Parents, for example, might send their kids down South with “Big Mama” and other elders for the summer. My husband talks fondly about traveling to southern Alabama…
➠ Continue ReadingA photo project from back before I got into the bad habit of not making enough time for myself. By Alicia Barnes, liciabobesha.com While I’m doing a whole lot right in my life, I’m not perfect. I struggle all the time. I’m not always the example I’d like to be for my child. There are…
➠ Continue ReadingA few days ago a video called, “World’s Toughest Job” was posted online by the greeting card company cardstore.com and quickly went viral. I was sent the video by quite a few people, watched it a couple times and felt… odd. The video shows candidates interviewing for a “Director of Operations” position, which really is…
➠ Continue ReadingWhen women ask me what the biggest shock of becoming a mother was, my answer often surprises them: adjusting to a new lifestyle. Becoming a mother is one of the most empowering changes I’ve experienced. I didn’t realize, though, how much my daily life would change. Yeah, I knew my son would require a lot…
➠ Continue ReadingAlmost nine years ago, I was a new single mom in graduate school. In many ways, this should have been a time of great celebration. New baby and new opportunities in life. But instead, I was full of dread. I believed that I was alone in the world and that nothing would go right. Postpartum depression…
➠ Continue ReadingBy Alicia Barnes, liciabobesha.com Being a mother is exhausting. From those early weeks of seemingly nonstop nursing to this demanding toddler time, I’m not always able to find the energy, time, and motivation to make work out like I want. Thinking about these 10 things help keep me moving even when the couch is calling….
➠ Continue ReadingMy husband and I had known each other for just a year before we decided to tie the knot. Soon after that, we had a little one on the way. It all happened so fast. And after moving in together and seeing the people we really were, there were times we bumped heads and disagreed,…
➠ Continue ReadingAs I kissed my little girl ‘goodbye’ this morning, and told her to, “Have a great day”, she had a big grin on her face. This grin always appears at the end of our Daily Affirmation Cuddle. At least once a day – especially if we will be separated throughout the day – I hold…
➠ Continue ReadingAs I write this, I have 6 friends who are counting down the days and weeks until they welcome their bundles of joy into the world. As I’ve journeyed with them, I’ve had to do lots of reflection on what went right and what was messed up during my 38-week sprint into motherhood. I want…
➠ Continue Reading
