A few months ago a hashtag took over social media with great force, #thxbirthcontrol. I’m not here to tell anyone whether I agree or disagree with the use of birth control, so please don’t close the tab or head to the comment section too soon. What I’m here to talk about is some of the posts associated with the hashtag that made my heart break.

There was woman after woman thanking birth control for helping them pursue their dreams. My heart ached immediately at the thought of children being considered a hindrance in a woman chasing her dreams. I thumbed through the hashtag, viewed post after post, and my heart just sank. I looked beyond my phone at my children playing around me and realized I couldn’t be more thankful for them and who they have helped me become.

I have some pretty big dreams, and I’ve had them even before I became a mom. My dreams seem daunting, overwhelming, scary, impossible, and just down right crazy sometimes. When you add children into the mix, it makes them sound even crazier. I get it, I really do. Kids can take a lot of your time. Trust me, I have three. But just because they can consume a lot of time doesn’t mean that they cause you to have to throw your dreams out the window. If anything, I believe they shape you into a person who is capable of pursuing those dreams.

When you become a mom, your children become a part of your dream. They need to see you chase that dream. They need to see you continue to dream. They need to see you inspired by your dreams. They need to remember to dream, and the only way they’ll remember to do that is by watching you dream.

My kids may have made pursing my dreams seem like a distant thought, but there are still dreams deep within my heart just waiting to be chased. I think it’s a lie the enemy wants us to believe, a lie that tells us we must give up our dreams to become a mom. God never said he was done with us at mom, He isn’t finished with you yet. Those dreams are meant to be dreamed, they’re meant to be chased, they’re meant to be pursued, and they’re meant to be lived.

Sweet mama, don’t think that it ends for you at mom, please don’t believe that for one second. Instead, join me these next 30 days and dig deep within that heart of yours to find those dreams that you thought were too distant. Search for them and let yourself dream again. Write them down. Chase them. Pursue them. Dream. Whether you take a step tomorrow and start chasing it, or you just keep dreaming, please don’t stop.

This month I want to remind you that you were meant to dream. I’ll be sharing stories from other mamas just like you who are chasing their dreams through motherhood. I hope that each one of their stories encourage you to keep dreaming.

Won’t you join me this month in chasing your dreams? I’ve launched a new t-shirt to add to the fun! You can purchase yours here.