New Mommy Monday! Meet Jasmine Lawrence!
1 Happy Monday Mommies! I am so excited to share that Millennial Mocha Moms is restarting New Mommy Monday! I've had my eye on some bomb ass Black and Brown moms doing their thing every single day and deserve to be recognized! My goal is to build a strong network for new Mocha Mommies so that us vetted Mocha Moms can shower them with love and support! Allow me to introduce Jasmine Lawrence! Jasmine is a graduate of The Morgan State University, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and founder of Big Hair Betty (Her hair is amazing ya'll!).
Introduce yourselves!
My
name is Jasmine and my son is John Christopher III
2 How long have you been a mommy?
Seven
Months
3 What is your favorite thing about motherhood so
far?
While
unfortunately cliché, nonetheless undeniably true; it’s a combination of a
number of different things. For example, the look in his eyes after his
afternoon nap, or the way he snuggles closer to me when he is sleepy. Even the
way he laughs uncontrollably is a jewel of motherhood. Truthfully, it is
challenging to highlight one specific “moment” or “thing” that is my favorite
about this blessing. I suppose if I
boiled the idea down to its barebones; it is the daily nuggets of joy and
spontaneous moments of happiness that I stumble across that truly exemplify my
favorite thing about motherhood.
4 What are you struggling with right now?
When
you leave the hospital with your baby, there is almost a super anti-climactic quality
about the moment. After 14 hours of pushing, there isn’t a rolling montage of scenes
with America’s favorite dad echoed by a sentimental Sam Smith record. They
don’t give you a manual of which buttons not to press. It truly is just you and
your family quickly whisked away into this frightening new world to care for
this helpless little person. The same is to be said when you return to work
after being home for six and half months. No manual, no montage, and no Jack
Pearson (although I love my real-life version). Just you and your team figuring
out what works. While often times overwhelming and even physically draining,
this thing called parenthood is a daily grind void of sick days but filled with
do-overs.
5 What is your goal as a mother of color?
Honestly,
I have this conversation more often than not in our household. We are raising a
black boy to become a black man; and with that comes honest conversations about
integrity, selflessness, grit, drive, and a commitment to excellence. As a
mother of color, I am responsible for ensuring my son has a firm grasp on both
his value and his worth which conceptually are two important but vastly
different ideals.
6 How are you balancing your roles now that you
have added motherhood?
Motherhood
comes first. Once he’s been taken care of, everything else falls in-line.
Having a great partner plays a major role. We are both new working parents with
no family around to help us. We rely on each other to get things done every day.
7 Are there any experiences that are shaping your
approach to motherhood?
The
complexity of life and its experiences ultimately shapes everyone’s
perspective. I listen to the news and fear what the future will look like for
my son. Our country’s history is no secret even if the many would prefer
certain truths to remain dormant. For me its this self-awareness that continues
to shape what we teach him and ultimately how we will aide him along his own
journey.
8 If you have any advice for a mother of color to
be what would you tell them?
Being
a mom is a super power! Things will not always go as planned, and that’s ok!
Also super critical to remember, tears are a battle cry in this life long
journey toward raising kings and queens, so let them out and get ready to do it
all over tomorrow.
Have a greet week #MillyMochas! I'll be in touch!