Humans of Motherhood - Calla

 Humans of Motherhood

“I became a mom at a very young age, he was my first boyfriend and we were just finishing high school. It was very challenging, especially since I was very young when I had my first child. I was eighteen years old when I had my first son TJ. I didn’t have much help, I was constantly tired and sometimes would find myself crying along with him. Money was always stressful, even more so being so young and needing to support a child. It made work life more challenging because I wasn’t just working for myself or my own benefit. Arranging daycare was hard because it was expensive, or if he was ever sick I would have to call out and stay home. It wasn’t always a struggle, there were fun moments too. I had my second child, my daughter Molly when I was twenty-one. The three of us were very close, it was almost like we were growing up together in a way. I remember when the two of them went to their prom they each came back with a tattoo, and I almost lost my mind. But it definitely became easier the older I became. I had two more children after that, and it went very differently. I was financially stable and prepared, most importantly mentally. I knew I could do it because I already had twice. After my first two children, my other two are ten years apart in age, so it worked out well for me. The older siblings were always good babysitting options! I would definitely say with no doubt my kids are my greatest accomplishment. Despite all odds of being a young mother, all of my kids turned out to be respectful, and haven’t gotten into too much trouble. It made all of the stress, tears, sweat worthwhile to see the adults they have become.  It would have to be my kids, because I am proud of them everyday.”

“Growing up I had moved around a lot, my father was in Vietnam and my mother worked as a full time nurse. As the oldest daughter I found myself watching my younger siblings, and doing the day to day household chores while my parents were gone. But if anything it prepared me for early motherhood. My father was in the air force so this included a lot of relocating. We lived all over the place from Iceland, to Maine, Massachusetts, and Texas, I experienced many different places called “home”. But one thing that was the same, is I had my four siblings as a support system. Whether I wanted to kill them at the moment or not, we were always really close. They were and still are my best friends. Moving around as much as we did, it was hard to make close friends. Especially if you weren’t going to be in the state for very long. Texas was the worst because your friends weren’t right next door like it is here in New England, each house felt so far away from one another. But in the end, my siblings were my best friends and the ones who were always by my side. I was extremely close with my older brother Paul, he passed away last spring and it has never felt the same. To be the oldest now is just unsettling to me, and I miss him every day. He would be the one to help me take care of the younger ones, or help me if they were being too crazy. I am the second oldest of all my siblings, and with our parents being fairly busy with work I found myself as a caretaking figure at a young age. Wake up and go to school, coming back to watch over my sisters while trying to work and complete school. But it wasn't necessarily a burden but more so my job as big sister, so it never phased me.”

“Starting at a young age, along with being a mother to two kids, I started working for an eye doctor's office in Natick, Ma.. Since then I have kind of worked my way up from an eye tech, to an administration worker, to now a billing specialist for multiple different offices. Ranging from Natick to Brookline, I expanded my business, while still running a full housefull at home. Something to make more money for my kids and for my retirement, making myself more financially independent. The purpose of it was so that I could work from anywhere, and so that when I retire from my full-time job I could still work a few days a week. The downside is when you work from home people get the impression that you’re not actually working or that you’re always available. I am constantly getting calls or texts from my clients, it feels hard to fully unplug. And when I’m not plugged in to work, there’s always something that needs to get done with the family too. It’s like having two full-time jobs, being a mom is no joke. You are responsible for making sure to be there for your family and kids no matter what the situation may be. My advice to women looking to start a business of their own would be to do their homework and make sure they love what you’re doing. It comes with dealing with a lot of different people and personalities, but you have to keep working to be successful. No matter how tired, stressed, or fed up you may be you have to keep showing up and keep working.”

“Outside of work when I'm not involved in work, or taking care of family members I really do love crafting. Whether it involved house decor, jewelry, sewing or knitting. I have a very large range of interests, it doesn’t matter what the craft is, I just like to be creative. I always love starting and finishing a new project, envisioning a creative idea to make into life. Sometimes I find myself being a little too obsessed with the outcome, but there’s nothing more satisfying than being proud of something you made yourself. For example, if some friend or family member was having a baby, I’ve made it a tradition to make a set of matching burp clothes that could also act as small blankets. It’s not always about the look, but what you can use it for too. I also love to go to my beach house and plop on the beach. There’s nothing better than relaxing under the sun and listening to the water. We’ve been going to the same beach for years and I could never get sick of it.  I also loved to golf, I used to golf all the time with my husband and family. I used to keep up with the men all the time, it was pretty funny. I haven’t played in a while because I had injured my shoulder but I would love to get back out there. I liked the formality of the game, and the peace and quiet. I’m also quite competitive so it’s always fun when games get a little rowdy.”