“Proof I do, in fact, exist outside of mom life 😂”

Some days it feels like my entire identity is stitched together with everyone else’s needs—mom, wife, chauffeur, snack dealer, farm stand helper… you name it. And while I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world, it’s so easy to forget that there’s a me underneath it all.

The me who isn’t answering to “Mom!” every five seconds. The me who used to dress up just because it felt good. The me who still loves boots, a bright smile, and a night where I don’t have to pack extra snacks “just in case.”

Motherhood is beautiful, but it’s also consuming. It asks for all of us, and sometimes it quietly swallows the person we used to be. And that’s why these little reminders matter. A picture, a moment, a pair of boots—something that whispers, you’re still in there.

So here she is. Just me. Not defined by roles, or chaos, or to-do lists. Just a reminder that it’s okay—necessary, even—to show up as more than the hats we wear for everyone else.

To the other moms reading this: don’t forget about your “you.” She deserves to step out, too.

-A Farm Mother’s Try