READING TEXT
Should motherhood define me?
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Original fictional learning scenario. People, dialogue and personal experiences are created for language practice.
After my daughter was born, people who once asked about my work began asking only about her. I enjoyed talking about her, but I sometimes felt that the rest of my life had disappeared from the conversation. When I mentioned this to a friend, she worried that I regretted becoming a mother. That was not what I meant.
Caring deeply about one role did not make every other part of me irrelevant. I still wanted to discuss books, professional plans and ideas that had nothing to do with parenting. Over time, I learned to redirect conversations without apologising. I also became more careful about the questions I asked other parents. Rather than deciding which identity should come first, I tried to leave room for people to describe themselves in more than one way.
