Cinnamon Buns: A Mother's Recipe for Self-Discovery

For me, and I'm sure countless others, becoming a mother has broken me down and forced me to redefine and redirect like never before. My aim is to become who I AM—a woman and mother who embraces all parts of HERSELF fully, completely, and confidently. That's what Cinnamon Buns represents.

I've been nursing for four years straight. Sure, my breasts are mine...but at this point, are they really? Once they were sexual, now they're edible. The lines of my body—the parts that are mine and the parts that are my children's—are all blurred.

Sensuality has always been a central part of my identity. In motherhood, especially during this phase with small children, I've found it difficult to fulfill and balance this key aspect of myself with the important nurturing role of being a mother. I know I'm not alone in the desire to meet my own needs and the frustration of not being able to because I prioritize the needs of my children.

Once I became a mother, especially for the second time, there were parts of myself that I felt I had to let go of. It did not take long for me to realize I let go of too much, which was synonymous with conforming too much. I needed to embrace those parts of me again. It's the classic feeling of taking one step forward and two steps back.

It's a difficult journey that I'm sure I'll enjoy looking back on one day.