What It Means To Be a Wife and Mother

On a recent episode of Red Table Talks, Willow Smith asks her mother, Jada Pinkett Smith, what it means to her to be a wife and a mother. Jada describes being a wife and a mother as a paradox, something many of us could probably relate to. Watch the clip to hear Jada’s full answer to what it means to be a wife and a mother.

Jada highlights balance as the key to navigating her roles as wife and mother and that she has a daily morning ritual to help her stay connected and be intentional in her process to achieve a sense of balance. Jada does not mention this in the clip, but I imagine she might say that what balance looks like to one woman is different than another woman’s sense of balance. I also think balance is a fluid process that changes as we change and as our life changes, rather than a set destination that has a welcome sign to greet us when we have finally arrived.

By living with intention and on a constant journey to create a sense of balance in our lives, we can stay in touch with ourselves and what brings us joy and happiness. Without this intention, it is easy to lose our relationship with ourselves and look to others to make us happy.

Here is a thinking or journaling activity:

How would you answer the question, “What does it mean to be a wife and mother?”

What does balance look like for you today and how has balance changed over the years or how do you expect it to change in the future?

What do you do to be intentional or what will you do to be more intentional as you work towards balance?