Mother’s Day Rendezvous #1

Celebrating motherhood

Mother’s Day is a time to honor and celebrate the incredible women who shape our lives with their love, wisdom, and unwavering support. This year on a rainy weekend, I decided to sit down in a cozy corner cafe with two extraordinary moms who share their diverse and beautiful experiences of motherhood.

Meet Jessica Gabriel and Jihan Harb Tohme. Jess, a dynamic working mom of two who manages to balance a demanding career in interior design with her vibrant family life. Jihan, a devoted stay-at-home mom of five is a passionate nutritionist & health coach. These two women, though different in their day-to-day lives, share a common thread of deep love and dedication to their families. Read on!

Journey into Motherhood

Q– Tell us a bit about your journey into motherhood.

Jess– I always knew I wanted kids, but I wasn’t certain that I would. In during early years 15 to 17, I had a form of cancer and that meant that I had to have chemotherapy because of which I was told that I wouldn’t have kids. So having children was the biggest surprise! After I got married and had two children. I was very happy! No one really coaches you to be that person you need to be as a mother. You never know how patient you are till you have children! You grow in ways that you never expected to. Another beautiful side of motherhood is seeing life through the eyes of another little girl, knowing that many years ago that little girl was you and your mother looked at you the same way! I think we have the responsibility to be better parents than the last generation.

Jihan – I got married at 24 and I knew I wanted many kids, but I didn’t have a number to that. In the space of the 12 years apart from oldest to youngest, every one of my children is a reflection of me. There’s no manual for parenting and it’s been a wonderful journey of growth and getting to know not only them, but also myself through them and understanding the truth of my capacity – My depth and my breadth that I thought I had, only to realise that it’s actually even deeper. I do love motherhood and it’s challenges and it’s joys. Now that my eldest is on the foot of adulthood, I’m always so proud of how they carry themselves when they’re away from me. In our culture, there’s a there’s a lot of emphasis on raising proper children and almost having a brand. As a mother, it’s my responsibility to teach them that it’s about being good people for their own sake, being good people because it nourishes their health. I feel like I’m in a better place raising children, knowing and understanding the reasons for why. I want to implement good habits and good behaviors and good characteristics. So, driving from authenticity rather than a front.

Significance of Mother’s Day

Q – What does Mother’s Day/ being a mother mean to you?

 Jess – I’m not huge on celebrating Mother’s Day. The only real special events that I like to celebrate are family gatherings like Easter and Christmas. It’s important that we choose to have a responsibility of being a parent. Anyone can be a parent. We have a responsibility to be the best version of yourself.

Jihan – Motherhood to me is my overriding mission. It’s an all in approach because children are vulnerable and needy, especially in the younger years. I choose to go on that journey. I cherish and honor every woman who takes that role, because let’s be honest, it requires a lot of patience. It’s a recommitment almost on a daily basis sometimes. Though, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Sometimes you need to recoup and recover, only to come back stronger and better. Mother’s Day has a special place in my heart because it is nice to give the children and the families a chance to show appreciation in whatever way it means to them, for what they’ve received, not because I, as a mother, need validation, but it’s more for them to find the appreciation for the things in their life that matter most.

Juggling careers and motherhood

Q – Balancing motherhood with a full-time career can be challenging. Can you provide some insights or strategies you’ve found helpful in managing this juggling act effectively?

Jess – As a full-time working mom I have to prioritize what’s most important. I’m a perfectionist at heart and someone once said to me “…sometimes a band aid solution has to be”. If that means that I provide for my family, but my house is not perfect and I might not be able to make that 3-course dinner, I’m okay with that. Something’s got to give. It’s unrealistic to expect everything to flourish all at the same time. There will be moments in your life where you focus more on one thing.

Jihan – I’ve never been able to work in a full-time capacity. I did start my journey contributing to home businesses that me and my partner started. The hiccup we had was that our second daughter was born with a medical issue that threw us in the deep end because the condition was very rare and unheard of. We were going in blind, assessing the situation and how to deal with it. So I made the conscious decision to be a stay-at-home mom and family comes first. Recalibrating the priorities was a hard journey but a no brainer, nevertheless. For now, intentional separation of duties and helping them be independent helps me with time management.

Self-care

Q – How do you prioritize self-care amidst the demands of work and family?

Jess – My self-care is health and fitness. When my children were really young, I didn’t have time for anything, but I always had faith. I think that being physically active is a kind of meditation. My focus is trying to understand how my body works so that I can be the best version of myself. I found that when I started to move my body, my body got stronger. I also don’t do anything gently ha-ha! I’m an emotionally quiet and honest person. I like to push it down. I have a very extremely supportive husband when it comes to health and fitness. We both came from quite sporty backgrounds. I was a very good tennis player I have been coaching tennis for 10 years. The only time I ever stopped being physically active was when I had my children. I’m OK with being uncomfortable because at some point you’re going to be comfortable with that thing that you were uncomfortable with. I found a Karate class that’s really kick started me to the next level.

Jihan – Self-care along the years has become more and more of a priority. At the end of the day the responsibility or the ownership to look after me falls on me so that I can in turn, give back to these five human beings that I’ve created. Health and wellness is a big part of my life. Through researching my daughter’s condition, I came to understand a lot about the body and biology and the immune system and what I also came to understand was that it’s important to come at life from a place of appreciation and abundance, harnessing good energy. I’ve recently found a passion for yoga and deep stretching. I’ve dabbled with karate. Catch ups with people and soul sisters like yourselves are my bread and butter that fills my cup and I’m more of a one-on-one person as opposed to bigger groups. I love connection, authenticity and heartfelt conversation. I love walks in nature and hiking. The beach is a revelation so deep! It’s feels great to wake up every day in a place of appreciation.

A method to the madness

Q – Juggling motherhood and work can be challenging. What is your approach to juggling these?

Jess – At the beginning of the year, I did a schedule. The priorities for me are waking up early to get myself in that place. Making time for prayer by waking up at 5:00 – 5/30 am is high on the list. Then I read a business related or educational book. After that I’m in mom mode packing school lunches. Being a small business owner, I have a responsibility to my employees. With kids at school, my house and chores become secondary. If my child has something at school, I want to be there to make those memories, so the kids remember that. At work, many a times I forget to eat – it’s just go, go, go! I’ve put everything into making the business what it is today, and I just feel like I’m getting started on. I’ve got so much more to give!

Jihan – I would love to be a woman with a formula for life ha-ha! Every time I’ve tried, I feel like life gets in the way! I think a general formula does exist. I’ve intentionally started carving out time for different activities related to my business and housework. You got to remember that life isn’t perfect and it’s important to have a flexible approach.

Leaving a legacy

Q – As a business owner and mother, you’re accustomed to facilitating connections and fostering teamwork. How do you apply these skills in your family life in nurturing relationships with your children?

Jess – I think that guidance is everything because children don’t necessarily know what they want or need. As a parent, it’s my responsibility to push them to make them resilient. When you start something, you need to finish it. Having direction earlier on in life is something that I’ll pass on to my children. They need to have somewhere for all that energy to go to. When you try something new, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to do the same thing for 30 years. It just means that you give it your absolute best. Worry doesn’t live in the now. Worry is in the future. Jihan adds “and regret lives in the past!”.

Jihan – I strive to live in the present and like being attuned to living in the present. If I can pass that on to my children so that when the going gets tough or when they are in moments of absolute bliss and joy, each one of those moments has its place in their heart, in their mind, in their soul, and in their body. In this day and age, it’s so easy to be distracted and overwhelmed by so many layers of interference from the sensory world. I also want to teach them to not love things but love experiences and in order to do that you have to be present. In being present, regardless of whether they’re successful or striving, joy would follow them wherever they go. Sunrises and sunsets, that’s all I’ve got!

And just like that an hour has passed by. I have goosebumps from this beautiful & honest conversation. The desserts look inviting, and we decide to wrap up here! I hope that their stories have offered a unique insight into the joys and challenges that come with raising children and through their words, I’ve captured the essence of what it means to be a mother and to celebrate the strength and beauty of all moms. To find out more about their products and support their business, click on the link below.

Bio

Jessica Gabriel is the owner of Magno Kitchens. They specialize in crafting bespoke kitchens, laundries, bathrooms, wardrobes, office furniture, and comprehensive home joinery solutions. Check out luxury kitchens sydney (magnokitchens.com.au to find out more.

Jihan Harb Tohme is a nutrition and health coach and owner of Wholefoodme. This health and lifestyle store is aimed at uplifting health in a holistic way by way of products which are organically grown, properly prepared, ethically sourced. Check out wholefood.me – Supplement – Australia Wide Delivery – Wholefood.me Pty Ltd to find out more.