Behind the Words
The mama and the meaning.
The Mother Behind the Words
Hi there, I’m Kylie. A wife, mother to two boys and two dogs, and a therapist. As a lifelong perfectionist, I met my match in motherhood. I had never so deeply longed to do something well, while feeling so unsettled on what “well” even is. I had the picture-perfect mother in my head, the one who was always smiling, joyful, and meeting everyone’s needs. But I struggled to bring that picture in my head into reality. This lapse between hope and reality was further heightened when miscarriages entered my story.
So, through it all, I’ve turned to writing to try to make sense of things. And I have a feeling that as motherhood keeps coming my way, I’ll continue to have more and more to process. And so I’ll keep writing, and sharing, and becoming alongside you all.
Outside of motherhood, I enjoy working in my yard, reading, exploring nature, baking, and cheering on my Kansas City teams.
PS: The picture on the right was taken right after crying during a Bible Study, because I was about to return to work after having my first son. But I needed headshots for my private practice therapy website so that I could leave my 8-5 job. Please don’t let the facade of social media fool you; may this space help breathe life into and speak to the realities of motherhood.
The Logo
Nature is one of the most fascinating places to me. The never-ending intricacies are humorously inspiring. When Beth Laird, my logo and book cover designer (and wonderful human and mother!), sent me the first specs for my logo, I knew this one was what I wanted to build Motherhood Becoming around.
There is so much symbolism in the sun and water—a consistent presence, giving life, and showing up every day in Motherhood like the sun, and riding the numerous ups and downs of emotions like the waves of water. The colors yellow and blue remind me of the contradictions we can face in Motherhood and the tug-and-pull between opposing needs and emotions.
Another thing that stood out to me the more I looked at it was that the sun also started to remind me of an eye, representing the way we view ourselves and our kids. And how that viewpoint is often heavily influenced by the current emotional waves we are riding. That intersection of viewpoint and emotion is where I hope my writings can speak to and shed light on. And by illuminating that intersection, I hope to help us gain more say in how it plays out and give us more control over how tumultuous the emotional waves can get.
Most simply put, nature can provide such a sense of grounded comfort, and I hope you may find a glimpse of similar comfort here, in this space.