Celebrating Mother's Day in Challenging Times
Happy Mother’s Day! We at NYRR recognize that along with joy and rewards, motherhood brings many challenges—and this is especially true as moms and their families continue to navigate through the pandemic and other upheavals in our country and world.
For many mothers, a big part of their role is serving as the mental health backbone of their family, taking care of not only their own mental well-being but that of their families, too. For this Mother's Day and Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we spoke with Simone Martin, a wife and the mother of three sons, Qalib, Tobias, and Jazeer, about the joys and challenges of being a mom in 2021. Qalib was a Rising New York Road Runners Youth Ambassador in 2019-20.
Simone Martin
“I Choose to Be Grateful”
My life during the pandemic has been full of changes. Last year my husband and I decided to pool our resources and buy a house with my mother and brother. Then I lost my grandmother, who has always been my role model, followed by three more deaths all within a month.
To help myself and others during the tougher days, the key is to stop everything and focus only on breathing—deep breaths repeated until I feel lighter. I also make the choice to see things half full instead of half empty, using affirmations such as:
I choose to be grateful for the time I am getting with my sons by them being remote learners.
I choose to not only focus on all of the tasks that I have to do but applaud myself for all that I have already done.
I choose to appreciate the valuable time and memories I was blessed with through my grandmother’s time here on earth.
Although there is not a one-size fits-all support mechanism for moms, I believe giving moms an outlet to express ourselves would help clear our minds. Some moms might need to talk with other moms weekly or monthly in a group setting without their kids, others might need to take a walk or run, or write a blog or journal. Giving moms a small opportunity to have some leisure time without having to cater to our spouses or children, parents, work and etc. would go a long way.
I cherish my many roles and am extremely grateful to be a mother of three beautiful, healthy boys. However, I feel like society has not quite figured out how to allow moms the space to not only take care of others but ourselves in a way to keep us mentally balanced.
I am fortunate to have a diverse support systems of moms from all backgrounds and it is beautiful to learn about our different cultures and also observe our similarities. Unifying as Super Moms to maintain our mental stability is a gift!
The most precious gift is our children, and I am so grateful to you, Qalib, Tobias, and Jazeer. I love you with all my heart and thank you for choosing me to be your one and only mother!