Hi, I’m Jennifer!
I have a deep ache for nostalgia, sparked by the loss of my mom at a young age and the bittersweetness of watching my babies grow up.
I created Held by Both because
🤍 of my need to archive memories in motherhood,
🤍 to hold space for other moms no matter the season they’re in,
🤍 and to share what has made motherhood better for me with the hopes of helping someone else.
Held by Both is a community for mothers defined by memory and the ache of time passing.
Made for those who are held by both the past and the present, grief and joy, love and loss (isn’t that all of us)?
You’ll find blog posts about traveling with kids, my favorite parenting hacks, healthy swaps to live a less toxic life, and stories about love, loss, and the years in between.
Backing up a bit
I’m fiercely passionate about making healthier choices for myself and my family.
When I was 22, I lost my mom – she was 57. I always felt her life would have been prolonged if she had the right support and knew how to make healthier choices for herself.
This is why I care so much about what I put into my body. I don’t want to my children to lose me at a young age, and I don’t want to lose anyone else I love at a young age.
I know I can’t control everything, but I can make better choices and help others do the same. Trying our best in a toxic world is all we can do.
Moving forward
Her death shattered every part of me. I had just graduated college, and starting my young adult life.
In the last 12 years, I’ve grieved heavily, but I’ve healed more.
Becoming a mother when I did was the best thing for my grief.
A long time ago a friend told me, “true healing will start when you become a mom.
She was right!
Giving birth to my oldest daughter stitched my heart back together. Of course I still grieve, but learning to mother while mourning my mother brought everything full circle.
It was like I could relive the immense love my mom had for me by pouring that love into my daughter.
The mother/daughter relationship I desperately craved was reignited by having my own daughter.
My life is defined by two moments: losing my mom and becoming a mom.
The connection of death intertwined with creating life.
Held by Both is born out of what follows us in motherhood…
Moments we hold on to from the past.
Moments that hold us in the present.
A life held by both at the same time.