Motherhood is as diverse as the women who experience it—and on a recent episode of Inside South Florida, three powerful moms sat down for a candid, emotional, and inspiring conversation about what being a mother truly means to them.
For Fatema Love, who became a parent just four years ago, motherhood has been life-changing. “It means everything to me,” she shared. “I didn’t grow up with a family, so I always knew this was the one thing I wanted most. Even though it comes with hardships and tough times, it is the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me.”
Catrina Tillman echoed that sentiment, describing motherhood as transformative. “It stretches you in a way that’s hard to describe. You get to reinvent yourself as a woman when you're a mom and your kids have a way of bringing out the best in you and teaching you patience. It’s the hardest job I’ve had, but the most rewarding.”
For Bria Harris, motherhood came unexpectedly—and early. “I started at 18- 19, while still in school. But it made me go harder,” she said. “I still had ambitious dreams. To be a mother and still be able to strive for the best and show my sons that no matter what situations that life throws you, life is about choices that still make it happen–No excuses.”
The conversation also touched on the elusive idea of balance—balancing motherhood, relationships, and careers. Tillman explained that for her, balance comes in seasons. “One season you buckle down and we have to get things in line for the future. The next season, it may be playtime. Those seasons can be today and tomorrow. So balance for me, being a mom of four boys for 16 years, I try to take life as it come and try to make sure that my sons are emotionally, mentally, and spiritually stable.”
Another mom said she had to create firm boundaries. “At 7 p.m. I have to put the phone down and I'm not allowed to answer that email as much as I want to. I think that that's helped me a lot.”
The conversation turned raw when Bria shared what it was like to protect her children through the difficult stages of her life. “Motherhood doesn’t come with a book. You’re gonna make mistakes,” she said. “I lost my place a couple times, fell behind on bills, went through a domestic violence situation with my children's father–I've been through situations all while still trying to maintain a job, go to college, and make sure they didn't get preview to certain things with the different stages of my life. It just went from struggling to trying to find a common ground where I can still have that goal that I wanted. Being a mother made me show my kids that no matter what situations you have went through you can still come out on top.”
As the conversation wrapped, the hosts reflected on the importance of having these honest, vulnerable discussions. “As children, we just don't understand what is going on at the time. But I think just listening to you all gives us a clearer path of what motherhood looks like. We need to have a little bit more respect for our mamas out there!”
Inside South Florida wishes all the moms watching a Happy Mother’s Day! To connect with our guests, visit their social media at @fatemalove, @ladi_tillman, and @impresstaxservice19.
