Member Spotlight

When you're not being called 'Mum', what name/nickname do you prefer to be called?

Carina - keeping it simple

What is the best thing about being a mum?

Loving unconditionally. My two little ones are amazing — exhausting? Yes, but I love witnessing them grow, being emerged into their imagination, play and curiosity as they view and discover the world from angles I could not even dream off. Their love and energy provides so much joy, giggles and tender loving moments of learning and growth for all of us. Motherhood has challenged everything for me; including who i thought I was, what I thought I knew and how I envisioned it to be. Being a mum is the most wonderful, most challenging, exhausting, intense and most loving and heartfelt experience. Within I found strength i did not know I had and love that is so raw, intense and beautiful.

What is the most challenging thing about being a mum?

Re-discovering and finding myself in the mist of chaos!

Motherhood has been the greatest and most challenging experience, and has bought me to my raw core more times than I like to admit.

But mostly it’s all the other things that life throws at us that really require my strength.

🌿The feeling of loneliness that can creep up with all my family being overseas - literally I never been homesick until I became a mum.

🌿navigating my families needs with my husband suffering from complex chronic health issues. It’s been a constant roller coaster and has required additional energy and resources that pushed me beyond what I thought were my limits… but here I am.

🌿 and in that chaos, “Mum guilt” has been a real tricky one for me to balance, but also shown me that we all — in-perfectly and tired; love our kids. No, we don’t get it right all the time; we overspill, we react, but we try; We love, learn and grow and become a new version of ourselves more than once as we transition through the different phases of motherhood.

What are you passionate about?

There are lot of things I love doing, but my core passions are social justice and supporting others on their journey. This is not always an easy passion to follow but so very worth it. This reflects in my personal as well as professional life which are very much overlap. These days as I am juggling mum life and providing for my family. I work as a holistic counselling social worker and mindfulness teacher, & I also recently became a “celebration day for girls“ facilitator and work in my own practice - Holistic Development & Wellbeing. I also do some work for a national charity and some might have previously met me in local community services organisations I worked for over the years.

What is something that you have done that you are proud of?

I am proud of many things I have done. And despite many challenges I also had and continue to have many privileges. What I am learning is that yes there are the big things I achieved and I am proud off, but find the real important achievements are the little things, the mundane, the small often unnoticed things, as we go through the day, raise our children, and most importantly to be able to really be present for my kids, soaking in the moments and emerge myself into their world.

Within this space I found gratitude most useful.

What is your favourite thing to do or places to go to unwind?

I love the ocean 🌊 and feel most relaxed near water.

My wild days are long gone and have some versatile interests these days finding joy in many ways, like playing the guitar and a good sing along, travelling, gardening, writing, cooking & baking (I make an amazing Black Forest Cake), meditation and yoga, being outdoors and going for walks. I enjoy my own company and I am most comfortable in a small group of close friends.

I have been a long time MOTHs member and follower, and love our beautiful community of mothers! I have found so much strength, joy and support in the many discussions shared. Thank you for this opportunity to share these parts of me with you. With love and gratitude. 🌿

Carina Hillman