I try not to judge when I see people with profile descriptions that literally lists themselves as “wife of x” or “mom of y”.
I wonder if I will become one of those people? Does motherhood consume your identity like that?
A friend asked if we found that moving to Japan had changed or altered our identity, and my response was that I don’t think it did. Not by much anyway. It confirmed that I enjoy the comforts of Asian things. But do not identify with a lot of ways of working or thinking that a lot of Asian cultures practice.
More apparent is that after becoming pregnant I feel like the large pillars of my identity have shifted. It has affected my career choices, cycling, yoga, and to some extent – the small part of my identity that’s tied to where I choose to live.
Is it just simpler to choose simple labels? Wife. Mum. Does becoming those things take over every aspect of their lives? Or are they just showy that they have those labels and it’s some sort of social accomplishment?
Perhaps “over-thinker” needs to be added to my list of descriptors.
I hope that as I continue to grow, my identity grows positively with me on my journey in life.