From a Mother to another

I am excited to share an idea that would resonate at a deeper level with you!

Motherhood is not easy, and it is challenging for others to understand the emotions, pains, successes, or sacrifices attached to it.

No one can comprehend exactly why you lost your cool, why you couldn’t say no to your child, why perfectionism consumed you, or why you went the extra mile for that one smile.

The only answer I could find is the unconditional love a mother has for her child. With that love come fear and courage intertwined.

You look at your child, all smiles, enjoying time with other children, and instantly you close your eyes, thanking the Almighty and asking for protection for that smile. In those tears of happiness, fear resides.

Sometimes you celebrate your blessings. Other times, you grab the rope of courage and move with your instincts. Motherhood is hard to define and difficult to understand. For many years, I have been working on the idea of putting a book together for mothers that doesn’t give advice but is a good, honest friend.

Do not let your stories stay in your heart or save them for your grandchildren. Write them! I am happy to put them all in a book to share with the world.

Last date of submission is October 30^th, 2024

word limit is 1200-1500 words

‘From a Mother to Another’ is close to my heart for many reasons. When my daughter went to college, I was swamped by emotions. It was a big milestone for her and me. She was at the cusp of adulthood. I was on top of the world. I was counting my blessings, and I was equally scared for her safety. Now, she was all alone in this real world. It was time for me to step back and let her create a path for herself while I sent all my blessings. It was at this time I wanted to understand how mothers handle themselves when their child leaves them. It can’t always be about wearing a brave mask. My attempt is to humanize motherhood.

I am not trying to spark any hope or inspire any mother through this book. I plan to bring simple, authentic stories of mothers to share with other mothers.

We love to listen to stories as much as we enjoy sharing them. Our childhood is shaped through them. Stories make us travel into a new world.

Whenever I think about this book, I visualize a mom soaked in the warmth of the stories shared in this book, sipping her coffee, sitting in her favourite café, celebrating her me time.

So, why am I writing to you? There are two reasons:

1 You understand the value of this book and my idea.

2 Stories help to bring profound change. By telling your story, you develop a deeper connection with yourself,
your child, and the mother reading your story.

The book – From a Mother to Another –

will include real stories from mothers sharing events related to love, laughter, jealousy, fun, loss, victory, and celebration.

Last date of submission is October 30^th, 2024

word limit is 1200-1500 words

There are multiple themes, and you can choose to write on any one of them, but they are not limited to the ones mentioned below. If you have something significant to share that is not stated in the list, please feel free to write about it (I request you to email me the topic and a brief of 4-5 lines to ensure that the concept goes with the book). I want this book to be yours as much as it is mine.

Some of the themes are:

Story of separation when your kid moved away for studies or job, or the custody of the child went to another parent
Story of loss due to lack of a support system leading to financial dependence or a missed opportunity for career growth; loss of a child due to premature delivery, life-threatening disease, accident, or other reason
Story of celebration when you conceived/adopted your child after years of attempt. Maybe your child hit a milestone that wasn’t expected medically.
Story of a turning point in your journey of motherhood (for example, a significant change in your perception of how parenting should be done)
Story of how you balanced the conventional wisdom on motherhood with modern advice
Story of how you have raised your second child differently than the first child

Now, before you say that you are not a storyteller, please know that you don’t have to be one. You just write your story and put down all the emotions you went through. My team and I will work on it while keeping your voice intact. The reworked piece will be sent to you for approval and then I will put it in a file until all fifty stories are collected to compile into a book.

If you still can’t bring yourself to write, you may pick any one of the two options
(Absolutely FREE FOR YOU! ):

Join my storytelling session
I will take you through the process and address
any doubts you may have about writing.

We can get on a call
where you can narrate the story and I will
take down notes to later work on the story.

After a child’s birth, getting unsolicited advice becomes part of the motherhood journey, but research tells us that we learn better when we are allowed to decode the information according to our will. What I pick up from a story might be different from what you take away from it. Hence, every story is a narration of what happened, how you felt, what emotions you went through, what you learnt or un-learnt, or why you did what you did.

Important points:

There is no participation fee.
Bonus, you get a chance to be published.
Please help spread the word to get more mothers to participate.
You will also be part of a group – From a Mother to Another

This might interest you:

I welcome collaborations in any other form aside from contributing your story. Some projects are better done when two hands join each other. Write to me if this book can support you in any way, personally or professionally. You could be a coach, trainer, writer, educator, marketer, publisher, literary agent or in any other profession – I am happy to hear from you. Email your suggestions/queries to me at vandana.s@anewyou.se.

Keep Shining & Smiling
Vandana Sehgal