It Seems Like Yesterday…
Today’s post is for my female readers. Sorry men, this isn’t for you this time. I’m sure there is some mythology out there for men related to this topic, but this one is for my ladies.
This post is inspired by a compilation of a few things going on in my life. Number one, a book that I’ve recently read from which one chapter really spoke to me. Number two, is that our two oldest sons will be 21 in a couple weeks, and I just can’t believe it. It’s happened so quickly.
I’m sure there a ton of moms out there that have found themselves saying the cliché stuff like, “It seems like yesterday when they came home from the hospital”…“It seems like yesterday when they started kindergarten”…“It seems like yesterday when they started playing tee ball”…“It seems like yesterday when they got their drivers licenses.”
Seasons Come And Go
Anyway, I digress. What I’m implying is that seasons come and seasons go, and sometimes it’s hard to figure out where you fit as a mom in that season. Who am I? Where am I going? What do I need? These are the kind of things going through my mind lately.
The book I’ve been reading discusses a concept that is well known in ancient mythology – that women were manifested into 3 phases:
1. Maiden stage;
2. Mother stage; and
3. Sage stage
In a nutshell, the Maiden was the young, enthusiastic, full of promise girl. The Mother was a symbol of fertility, sexuality, and stability. And the Sage was typically the guide for the hero or the heroine – she was wise, she helped them find their way home, and she had great vision that the hero or heroine didn’t have.
Can you see yourself in one or more of those stages? Let’s break them down even further.
The 3 Phases
The Maiden Stage
The Maiden stage, or the child stage, is the earliest stage. If it was personified in a season, it would be spring, where the bloom is just beginning on the plant. The maiden is very curious, very passionate, very much of a risk taker. They don’t conform. Maidens color outside the lines and don’t care what it looks like. They’re very innocent and free-spirited.
The Mother Stage
The Mother stage would be personified as summertime, when the plant is in full bloom. The Mother is a nurturer, a caretaker, and she puts others before herself. She gives up herself for the good of her family. The Mother also recognizes the way she was as a Maiden, when maybe she burned the candle at both ends, and improves herself because of it.
Mothers usually know what their needs are as well. They know they have to be healthy for their families. Mothers are making peace with where they’re at in their lives. There’s maybe a space between the Maiden and the Mother where you are still a little self-conscious, but Mothers are so in tune with themselves.
Because Mothers have likely experienced some pain and difficulties in their lives – watching kids get hurt or make wrong decisions or maybe a parent passing away – they’re navigating through life’s difficulties and living to tell about it. They’re getting wiser than they were as the Maidens.
The Sage Stage
Then there’s the Sage, or old woman, phase. The Sage is personified by fall, when all the blooms are at their brightest and the colors are the most beautiful. The Sage lives in her own style and doesn’t really care about replicating or being a carbon copy of anyone else. She’s perfectly in tune with herself. She’ll wear what she wants without caring about what other people think. She’s very self-possessed and un-self-conscious.
The Sage is comfortable in her own skin. She’s experienced and clear about things. She has less self-doubt. She doesn’t mind being a square peg in a round hole. Here’s the thing that I love about this phase. The sage is beginning to really focus on her inner self, on her soul, on who she was meant to be and what purpose she has.
We’re All In Different Seasons
So here’s how I’d like to tie it up. I believe that we all are in different seasons of our lives. Our age tells us that with a number, but we all have parts of each of these 3 phases in us. If I look at myself, there’s even still a little Maiden in me. There’s someone who is starting to not care and starting to become more daring and who isn’t as self-conscious anymore. I’m reigniting some passions.
I do feel that I’m in that middle season heading towards the Sage, though. I’m becoming more introspective, and I want to focus on my soul. Who is Lynn? What is she here for? What purposes does she need to live out? How can she bring value to her world? How can she pay it forward?
I believe if we are quiet and we spend time with each of these phases, we will begin to see that we are in each one in different ways. We are linked in some form or fashion to our past, present, and future. No rear view mirror thinking here – that’s not what I mean – but I’m just saying that we’re linked a little to all 3 phases, and we can learn about ourselves from each one.
Get To Know Yourself
It’s not a test, though; you don’t have to know for sure what season you’re in. If I had one takeaway here, it would be to spend time getting to know yourself. Focus on your soul. If someone hasn’t told you yet, you are here for more than just breathing and taking up space. We all are! We are here for a reason, for a purpose, and for an intentionality that we must figure out.
Are you in a weird season if your life, where you aren’t quite sure what season you’re in? Or do you know someone who is? If so, pass this on to somebody and let go. Don’t hold onto the past forever. As always, pay it forward and share it. You know how much I love paying it forward!
