Motherhood Undefined

‘Different doesn’t mean wrong and motherhood should always be a judgement free zone.’ This is the main message behind ALEX AND ANI ‘s Motherhood Undefined campaign for Mother’s Day 2019. As a part of this campaign, I wanted to open up and share with you what being a mom means to me.

As a woman in my thirties, I have made a conscious choice to not have children until now - may be some day I will change my mind or may be not. Having raised Ari from the time he was eight weeks old puppy, my maternal love for him is the same as a mom’s for her child. My dog is my child and I am proud to call myself a dog mom. Although this wasn’t the case until a few of years ago. I used to be hesitant to call myself a mom, only because of the reactions I would get from certain people. Luckily most of my close friends and family get it now, but there are still many who don’t. But through @honeyidressedthepug I got a chance to interact with other dog moms and become more confident about my choices. I realized that I am not the only one, there are so many of you dog moms who feel the same way about your dog and have made similar motherhood choices.

A few years ago, I made a decision to quit my full time job and start something of my own related to dogs. That is how @honeyidressedthepug started followed by the launch of my own dog accessories brand - Ari & M. There were a few reasons behind making this decision and one of them was that I could be around Ari and spend more time with him. But, I was embarrassed to say this to people because I knew I would be judged.

When people talk about their kids, I naturally start talking about Ari. For me he is my child. But a lot of times, I get this look of amusement for having compared my dog to a child. I care the same way for my dog as they would for their child. I go above and beyond to make sure my dog is healthy and happy. My dog travels with me, goes to brunch with me, works with me. He is no less than a child to me.

I love the fact that ALEX AND ANI ‘s Mother’s Day 2019 collection celebrates all maternal relationships and has so many special pieces designed for us dog moms. Each piece in this collection has a meaning behind it - empowerment, love, strength, legacy, wisdom and more.

What’s your motherhood story? Have you ever felt judged as mom. Leave me a comment below.