A Daughter Shares The Simple Gift She Gave Her Stay-At-Home Mom That Encouraged Her To Change Her Life
She explained that her mother had sacrificed a lot and wanted to return the favor with this simple gift.
Chay_Tee / Shutterstock A woman is being praised for the heartwarming and simple gesture she gave her mother that ended up changing her life.
In a TikTok video, Rachel Sevcik shared that for the majority of her life, her mother had put aside her own needs to take care of her and her other siblings. So, when Sevcik graduated and went off to college, she decided to gift her mother something that ended up completely altering her life.
She encouraged her mother to do 'whatever she wanted to do' with her life.
In Sevcik's video, she explained that growing up, whenever people asked what her mother did for a living, she often said that she was a stay-at-home. When she eventually graduated high school, her mother became an empty nester since she was the youngest of her siblings.
"It was her 52nd birthday and I was kind of scrambling. I didn't know what to get her for a gift," Sevcik said.
So, she decided to try her luck at a local boutique and ended up purchasing her mother a sign that said "try" on it and wrote her mother a note that she should try to do whatever it was that interested her that she wasn't afforded the luxury of doing while being a stay-at-home mother.
"She always wanted to be a writer," she continued. "And in the eight years since, she has joined writer's groups, published a short story, co-authored a book, just finished her first book, and is starting her second one now."
Her mother is turning 60 in a month, and Sevcik admitted, that when people ask her what her mom does for a living now, she would proudly say that her mother is a writer.
People were amazed at how she encouraged her mom to have her own identity outside of being a parent.
"This is beautiful. Motherhood is full of 'seasons,' thank you for acknowledging that they change as your babies grow! How thoughtful of you," one TikTok user wrote. Another user added, "I’m incredibly impressed at your understanding of the gravitas of all her sacrifices at just 18. The sign and note was an amazing gesture."
"This is so grand. Our lives have different chapters and I’m sure it was affirming for her to be seen just for herself," a third user chimed in, while a fourth user agreed, writing, "This makes me want to cry. My first priority is a magical childhood for my kids. I know there is still time for something else I want to do."
Sevcik's gesture is a reminder that motherhood should never be an all-consuming identity and that, outside of being parents and nurturing children, women have goals and ambitions that should be explored and tended to.
While motherhood is undoubtedly a significant and rewarding role, women should be able to maintain a sense of self, pursue their own personal interests, and have individual identities that extend beyond just their roles as caregivers.
Mothers are often forced to prioritize the needs of their family to the detriment of their own well-being, leading to stress, and exhaustion. Mothers are also the ones who face and experience the most parental burnout. According to the 2023 State of Motherhood data, nearly half (49%) of all moms report feeling burned out by motherhood.
Supporting mothers in their personal journeys not only benefits them but can contribute to a more fulfilling and loving family dynamic.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.