When I first stepped out of my front door carrying Lucy in a woven wrap, I felt all eyes were on me, judging me. I perceived that passers-by, as they followed me with their gaze, were thinking "What on earth is she doing? Strange woman! Surely she's not normal!" It felt natural to me to carry my child, but it was clear that my years of conditioning about 'fitting in' had coloured how I thought I ought to be - a total disconnect between who I felt I was and who I felt society would have me be.
It is only now, a few years later, that I understand the extreme importance of being who we really are - for our creativity, for our self expression, for our happiness and - ultimately (and somewhat ironically) - for the success of society.
My interest in being who we really are took me to my Pinterest board where I realised that some of my most repinned pins were quotes about this very subject - maybe this is what 2015 is all about; I don't know - maybe we are on the cusp of something big...
But I do know this: if I were carrying my baby today, I know I'd be doing so with a great dose of pride and a huge sense of "this is who I really am..."
So let's just be who we really are, yes?! What do you think? Is this something you've struggled with too? Tell me in the comments below - I'd love to hear your story :)
ETA: following a kind comment from myteddylife on Instagram not only is it important for us to be who we really are, but it's equally important for us to let others be who they really are too. I sense this is a subject I will be coming back to :)
- Ali x
New wraps - Breeze and Pure - live at shop.alidover.com 20:00 this evening, 14 August.