Flamingos Lose Their Pink… And So Did I

Did y’all know flamingos literally lose their pink color while raising their babies?

They give so much of themselves that the pigment in their feathers fades. Sound familiar? Because same, sister. Except in my case, it’s not just my color that faded—it’s my energy, waistline, social skills, and most of my wardrobe that doesn’t have some kind of mysterious smear on it.

I was talking with a friend the other day, and we were reminiscing (read: mourning) about the days when we used to care what we looked like. Back when I had the time, energy, and functioning bladder to shower, shave, pluck, paint, perfume, and pour myself into a decent outfit—just to go to dinner with my man.

Fast-forward 12 years and two kids later… our “date nights” look more like a frantic scramble to find clean jeans and that one bra I think still has a working underwire. If I manage to get even two of those glow-up steps done—say, shave AND slap on a little concealer—I’m feeling like Beyoncé. Or, at the very least, her exhausted older cousin from Georgia.

I haven’t felt like me since we started trying for kids a decade ago. Not really. I’ve been “Mommy” for so long that sometimes I forget what just “Me” even looked like. She was cute. She was rested. She had matching socks and dreams. And now? She’s somewhere under a pile of laundry asking the 4-year-old to stop licking the dog.

And don’t get me wrong—I love my family. I’d give them every last drop of my metaphorical pink. But I’m also realizing… maybe it’s time to start reclaiming a little bit of me, too.

Flamingos do eventually get their color back. It’s science. So here I am—7 years deep into this mom life—just wondering… how long is “temporary”?

And more importantly: is there a hair appointment and a hot meal somewhere on the other side?

Tag your tired mama friends who haven’t plucked their eyebrows since 2020. We’re in this together.

#MamaLostHerPink

#FlamingoPhase

#HotMessButStillBlessed

#SouthernMamaLife

#MomNotMaid

#JustLetMeShower

#GeorgiaMom

#PlanItMom

#PlanItMomUS

#MarriedLifeRealness

#MomTransitionMoments