selfish is the new selfless

I have been meditating a lot on self care and self love and what it really means to my well being as a mother, as a wife and most importantly as a thriving and fulfilled individual. I am curious as to when society decided that it was considered selfish for a woman to put herself first. I know for certain that this notion dates back centuries. I remember watching my mother work tirelessly and often she would say how guilty she felt when she was tired. Guilty about what? Being human? Having limitations? It's completely preposterous and yet I find myself traveling down guilt road more times than I would care to admit. Mothering has become a frantic race. A race to get the laundry done, get your kids to school, (and if you home school put together the coolest and most in depth lessons...for your 7 year old), bake the most epic Pinterest inspired snack, clean, and cook all the while making sure your kid doesn't turn to a life of crime and prostitution. The list is endless. And then there is that human. The one you created these tiny humans with. They need you too. Our men depend on us in a completely different way. Our men need us in a way that is raw and visceral. Like the earth needs water. We wear so many hats that we have taken multi-tasking to a whole new level. And we still find ourselves in this predicament of being "on" all the time. Somewhere in history it was decided that it would serve our families best if we dedicated our entire being to these humans. Please don't misunderstand. I know and value the importance of our role as mothers. I know how much these souls need us. But I am also conscious of the significance of a woman wholly satisfied with her life. She is powerful. We need to step back and reevaluate these thoughts and patterns that have become a part of our very DNA. It is not selfish for us to put ourselves first. It is not selfish for us to find things that make us happy outside of our family. I love my husband and I love my daughter, but that is not enough for me. I yearn for a life outside of them. And what I  mean by that is that I have my own dreams and my own endeavors. And I believe the desire to spread my wings and my desire to be a root firmly planted can coincide. I also think that when we find that balance our family will thrive. Our husband's will be inspired. For we also know and appreciate the power of the inspired masculine spirit.  And our children will witness love in action.  By nature, the feminine spirit is intuitive and nurturing. As we care for others throughout the day (and night) we extend this gentle grace and we tune into that intuition to guide us. Let us turn this attention and intuitiveness inward. Let it guide us to the place in our soul that allows us to love these humans that have chosen us. The love of a mother is without condition and knows no limits. What if we showered ourselves with that love? I believe that when we realize that our happiness is everything we can turn around and give it all to the ones who mean everything to us. When we do this we will see a bunch of happy kids, inspired men and fulfilled women roaming the streets giving love away freely. Imagine a world like that. And it all began with a "selfish" woman. Go figure. ;)