Daddy issues; Let me introduce you to mommy issues!

For so much of my life, I thought I had daddy issues. I grew up with a father in prison most of my life. Always longed for that relationship and believed I would have avoided many destructive decisions in my life. Felt the love I was longing for would come from a man. I imagined I would heal those pesky, emotionally damaging issues and would find peace.

Then BAM, I am smacked in the face with some deeper issues I never knew existed. My inability to trust women, to maintain friendships with women, and my jealousy and anger toward other women. "Shit!" my baggage is deeper than an absent father. I realized my mother was the cause of much of my anxiety and depression. I spent so much of my life trying to convince myself she loved me and adored me as much as my siblings.

I was longing for validation from mommy dearest all my life. It took me having my daughters and seeing my negative behavior to heal and resolve what has been eating me from the inside out. After many years of having no connection with women, and many years of negativity towards women to realized I had to heal those wounds my mother unintentionally created. She was my first failed friendship, my first disappointment with myself.

I am left with this deep longing for connection with other mothers, wives, and women I can relate to. This has set me on a path to exposing my demons and demolishing them one by one. Each day I am learning how to be authentically me with no cares of who thinks what. I am learning to appreciate what other women have that I find admirable. I am learning to accept what I don't possess and work to accomplish it.

On this path, I am discovering my true free spirit I was afraid to accept and blossom. Once afraid to speak out in fear no one would hear or care what I had to say. Sometimes it's still a battle around family, but I let my voice be heard. Not holding back on who I am and what I believe has been incredibly freeing mentally and emotionally.

In an attempt to free myself from the daddy issues we all know and acknowledge, I discovered an even bigger issue, and that is the mommy issues. I encourage all women to take a deep look at their behaviors and patterns and make sure they align with leading a life conducive to self-esteem, self-love, and healthy relationships. Mothers, please heal those wounds before you damage your daughter's emotions and become their first bully.

If you're in this fight to break down and heal those Mommy issues, I wish you nothing but positivity, light, and lots of love on the journey!