Womens Health | Mom Active

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Ok, so that’s a gross exaggeration, but motherhood is definitely a tough job. It has the ability to make you a stronger person, both physically and mentally, but can be a bumpy ride along the way.

Let’s think about it. You get pregnant and endure enormous physical changes such as shifting organs and expanding skin. Then you go through labor, which is so painful it often requires you to numb your body just to get through it, no matter whether you’re pushing or the baby exits through the “trap door.” Then there’s the emotional roller coaster otherwise known as the regulation of hormones, which isn’t so much hazardous to us as it is to our husbands! Next we have to learn to carry around a child that is getting bigger and heavier by the day (and sometimes seemingly by the hour). In addition to carrying the baby, we have to lug around heavy baby gear, such as car seats, strollers, and diaper bags filled to the brink. (I swear baby product manufacturers are making these products heavier every year, too). And for many of us, just when our body has gotten through that exhausting cycle, we start the cycle over again with another pregnancy! Therefore our body never seems to get a break or at least not for a good few years.

What prompted me to write this post was my visit to the doctor last month as my neck and shoulders had been aching and sore for a couple of weeks. While much of the cause is the cumulation of stress from the past 12 months (i.e. ovarian surgery while pregnant, pregnancy, and a postpartum depression episode), the physical stresses on the body that I just mentioned only exacerbated the problem. One painful back adjustment and deep tissue massage later and I am on my way back to having a body that doesn’t feel like it’s 90 years old. And while I know having a 2 year old and 3 month old will continue to require me to subject my body to more physical stress, it’s nothing that another 4-5 more adjustments can’t fix I guess!

This mother job not only requires the patience of a saint and mental capacity of a Mensa member, but it also apparently requires the physical strength of an Iron Man participant. Honestly, some days I feel like I don’t have any of those strengths, let alone all three. Being a mother taxes both your body and mind, but if the saying is true, then what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, right?

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After being hit by a moving car and thrown from her bike while returning home from dinner with her husband, Martha Harris awoke in the emergency room to some harsh realities. She was told in that moment she may lose her leg by amputation, and though her leg was later saved, Martha was only at the beginning of a long road to recovery.

I stumbled upon the story of Martha Harris in the December 7^th, 2009 issue of First For Women magazine. This article moved me so much that I reached out to her asking if I too could interview her to write an inspirational article to be featured on my blog. She graciously obliged me.

This story is inspirational because Martha, a young woman, found success and purpose crocheting hats after a tragic and random, near death accident left her wondering if she would walk again.

“Many bones were broken in my body, and I have had 4 separate surgeries to reconstruct my leg, arm and collar bone.”

But shockingly, not so much as a scratch or bruise on her head or back. Her body required a lengthy healing time, which included lots of therapy and prayers. However, she did bounce back to her pre-accident self…but with a new perspective on life.

“It was amazing to see all the mercy and love poured out to me by loved ones and strangers alike. It put more of an urgency in my heart to give back to others that are less fortunate than me.”

Crocheting as a part of her therapy to soothe and help with hand dexterity, she began creating hats and scarves and before long, people were asking if they could buy them.

“Last Christmas Eve, I was able to go into the slums of Camden NJ to give out hats and winter clothing to the children that lived there.”

Giving away these adorable hats and scarves to needy children gave Martha a great sense of purpose and it became clear, she had found her calling. Martha even started a crochet circle and charitable group called Crochet for Cause, creating hats for little girls in need living in Camden, New Jersey.

You can buy her lovely creations at Modern Virtues on Etsy. 10% of all proceeds are donated by Martha to Covenant Mercies, a non-profit organization helping impoverished people locally and globally. So when you purchase a one-of-a-kind, crocheted hat or scarf you are also helping someone less fortunate and supporting a real stand up gal, whose real-life story should inspire and motivate all of us.