As a woman, as a daughter, and as a mother of daughters, I’m fascinated by the magic we house within us, a magic that I believe can and will heal the planet – if we let it. Self care and self love unlock this intrinsic magic, and it is our divine responsibility to practice both on a daily basis, and to teach our girls to do the same.
To discover and honor the relationship between mothers and daughters, and to explore the magic of being a woman, I invited tribe members Lenea Sims, with her mother Loretta Brazil, and Shyla Marie, with her daughters Faith, Kennedy, and Mackenzie, to join me for an intimate photoshoot and interview. I’m so proud to share them with you. If the questions resonate, I invite you to ask them of yourself, your moms and your daughters, and share them with me.
Lenea Sims, Daughter
What do you admire/love most about your mom?
What I admire most about my mom is her continued zest for life. At 56, she's recently earned a Masters degree, begun school for her PsyD, and started a whole new career as a therapist after retiring from a 25-year career just last year. Plus, she's incredibly silly, wise, generous, caring, and strong. She's proof that you can be anything you want as a woman AND that you can be all of those things at one time!
What did you learn from your mom that has defined you as a woman?
From a young age, my mom has always taught me that it's okay to be powerful. That has been an invaluable lesson for me as I move throughout my own life and challenge myself to achieve more and more. It's amazing what you can accomplish, after all, when you aren't afraid of your own strength.
What do you think makes being a woman special?
Being a woman is special for so many reasons, but my favorites have got to be the ability to empathize, show compassion, and relate to a variety of people effortlessly. I think this is due to our inherently emotional nature and it's something to embraced, not rejected.
Do you love yourself? How do you express your love?
Absolutely. I express my love by making the conscious effort to get to know myself and by protecting my energy in every commitment I make and relationship I have. I also bask in my alone time, intuitively doing whatever makes me feel good one moment at a time.
What do you love about yourself most?
More than anything, I love my ability to remain calm, level-headed, and adaptable in situations that panic most people. I'm also quite fond of my ability to fit in pretty much anywhere and make friends with just about anyone. I think this ultimately stems from unwavering confidence in myself, which is something else I definitely get from my mama!
When you look within yourself, what do you carry as your mother's legacy?
Ultimately, so much of who I am has to do with my mother and the choices – good and bad – that she's made. I grew up learning from her mistakes and her milestones and I'm fortunate to have always been able to talk openly about it all with her. Above all, she has taught me to be fiercely independent while still valuing those close to me, and that is something that I'm sure will serve me forever.
Finish these sentences:
Women should: ignore all advice that begins "women should"! Oh, except for self-care. Absolutely all women should be doing that!
Women can: be anything and EVERYTHING that they want to be.
Women will: continue to change the world.
I am: proud to be a woman, proud to be a daughter, proud to be me!
Loretta Brazil, Mother
What is your responsibility as a mother of a daughter?
To embrace life in such a manner that my daughter mirrors living her authentic life.
How did becoming a mother change you?
I became a mother at 18, which for me meant that I had to take a position of authority immediately. I never experienced being a carefree young adult. However, there is not much I would change about my lived experiences. I would not be the person I am, if my life had been different.
How do you manage to give yourself “me time” with all of the responsibilities of being a mother?
I am 56 years old, retired, and pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. I practice balancing my time, which includes listening to music, relaxing with my Honey, enjoying time with family and friends, and more recently some form of exercise daily (dancing, and walking).
Do you love yourself? How do you express that love?
Yes! By being kind to myself and appreciating me.
When it comes to your daughter, what do you dream about?
Her happiness. She is a beautiful, courageous and intelligent young woman, and I dream that she will continue to explore the world, and experience life through her very talented lens.
Finish these sentences:
Having a daughter: is an opportunity to support and encourage another woman to be her best self in all aspects of her life.
Being a mother is: a position of honor, and privilege.
Women should: realize how awesome we are!
Women can: accomplish and realize all of their aspirations.
I am: in love and loving life.
Shyla Marie, Mother
What is your responsibility as a mother of daughters?
My responsibility as a mom to my girls is to teach them there are no limits to what they can do. If you are true to yourself and your passions, and educate yourself, you can shatter the glass ceiling.
How did becoming a mother change you?
Becoming a mother made me more understanding. It made me see both sides of the story.
How do you manage to give yourself “me time” with all of the responsibilities of being a mother?
I have to put it on the family activities schedule. If it's not on the schedule it won't happen.
Do you love yourself? How do you express your love?
I do love myself. I express it in the work I do. I don't settle for less for myself. I follow how my heart feels.
What advice do you wish someone gave you before you became a mom?
I wish they told me I'd never sleep again lol.
What do you think makes being a woman special?
Woman are the soul readers. That’s what makes us special.
Finish these sentences:
Having a daughter: is magic.
Being a mother: is divine.
Women should: be allowed to be themselves and not be judged.
Women can: do anything.
Women will: be the leaders of this world.
I am: a woman prepared to take on the world.
Faith, Daughter, Age 11.5
What do you admire/love most about your mom?
My mom has the best hair, she cooks the best food ever and she's so encouraging. I'd say she's my hero.
What is one thing you've learned from your mom?
To not to throw a temper tantrum, how to clean my room and that I must go to school.
What do you think makes being a woman special?
We can be glamorous, we can relate to each other in many ways.
What do you love about yourself most?
I'm a good human being and a nice kid and I like to help others.
Finish these sentences:
Women can: do anything.
Women will: follow their dreams.
I am: worthy.
Kennedy, Daughter, Age 9
What do you admire/love most about your mom?
We always go to different places, she's always respectful, caring and fair. She always gives us chances.
What is one thing you've learned from your mom?
Don't be mean to others. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
What do you think makes being a woman special?
Women are smart.
What do you love about yourself most?
I'm not disrespectful, bossy or mean and I'm good at following directions.
Finish these sentences:
Women can be: smart, fair, respectful, caring.
Women will be: kind and nice.
I am: smart and awesome.
Mackenzie, Daughter, Age 6.5
What do you admire/love most about your mom?
She helps us get things done fast.
What is one thing you've learned from your mom?
Never tell a lie.
What do you think makes being a woman special?
Sometimes woman can learn things faster.
What do you love about yourself most?
I'm the highest in my computer reading program at school.
Finish these sentences:
Women can: wear pretty things.
Women will: do the right thing.
I am: going to be a star.
Learn more about our tribe members:
Lenea Sims
Lenea Sims is a self-care writer and explorer who's infinitely curious about the ways we heal, cope, and thrive. She's also the founder of Gooey Girl – an online publication dedicated to celebrating the people, practices, and products we turn to for self-care and self-love.
Loretta Brazil
Loretta Brazil is a mother, grandmother, and doctoral student of Depth Psychology. She has a passion for self-care, self-awareness, gaining ego strength and self-love.
Shyla Marie
Shyla Marie founded Shyla Marie Photography in 2008 with the goal of turning her passion for photography and beauty into a thriving business. Along with running the studio and doing photoshoots, Shyla is a featured speaker and trainer, passionate about inspiring and guiding other women in pursuing their dreams of launching their own photography businesses. Outside of photography, Shyla is a singer/songwriter, actor, and mother of four alongside her husband, Mark.
Just the Questions:
DAUGHTER
What do you admire/love most about your mom?
What did you learn from your mom that has defined you as a woman?
What do you think makes being a woman special?
Do you love yourself? How do you express your love?
What do you love about yourself most?
Growing up, how did your mother practice self care and self love?
If there was one gift you could give your mom - regardless of any boundary including time, reality, financials or anything else - what would it be?
When you look within yourself, what do you carry as your mother's legacy?
Women should _______________
Women can ________________
Women will _______________
I am ________________
MOTHER
What is your responsibility as a mother of a daughter?
How did becoming a mother change you?
How do you manage to give yourself “me time” with all of the responsibilities of being a mother?
Do you love yourself? How do you express that love?
What advice do you wish someone gave you before you became a mom?
What do you think makes being a woman special?
When it comes to your daughter, what do you:
dream about?
worry about?
work towards?
How has your relationship with your mother impacted your relationship with your daughter?
Growing up, how did your mother practice self care and self love?
If there was one gift you could give your daughter - regardless of any boundary including time, reality, financials or anything else - what would it be?
If you could change one thing about your approach to motherhood when your daughter was young, what would it be?
Finish these sentence:
Having a daughter is _________________
Being a mother is _________________
Women should _______________
Women can ________________
Women will _______________
I am ________________
