Julie on How to Balance Challenges with Presence and Joy

MOTHERHOOD

Julie on How to Balance Challenges with Presence and Joy

Children: Paul (7 years old), Basile (1½ years old)
Lives in: Lille, France
Work: Artisan in the automotive field
Home: With Romain (dad, 37), Paul, and Basile

@inspiration.lilloise

Julie, 31, combines the hands-on creativity of her work as an artisan with the tenderness of raising her two sons. Life in Lille with Romain, Paul, and Basile is filled with small rituals and simple joys that remind her to slow down and savor each day. For Julie, motherhood is both grounding and transformative - a journey that continues to reveal new layers of love and strength.

How did your life change when you became a mother?

Becoming a mother turned my world upside down in the most beautiful way. I learned to slow down, to see the beauty in the ordinary. Every day is an invitation to gentleness, patience, and unconditional love. I am no longer the same woman: I am more authentic, more grounded, and more open to life.

What do you love the most about being a mother?

What I love the most is this magical connection, this unique bond that nothing can break. The look in my children’s eyes, their trust, their spontaneity. They are my treasures. I also love what motherhood reveals in me: an immense love, a vulnerability full of strength. And the fact that I’m still breastfeeding Basile today is a source of deep happiness and tenderness. This extended bond is a true everyday miracle.

What’s your biggest daily challenge as a mother – and what helps you through it?

The challenge is staying centered and available, even amidst the whirlwind of obligations. What helps me is reconnecting with their presence. A hug, a burst of laughter, a nap snuggled up together. These are my most powerful remedies. Their love grounds me.

What do you miss the most from your life before children?

Sometimes I miss having space for myself. But I wouldn’t trade what I have now for anything in the world. Moments with Paul and Basile, their arms around my neck, their scent, their laughter… These are my essentials. I could no longer live without this motherhood that has transformed me.

How do you take care of yourself to be a present mother?

I allow myself small moments: a hot cup of tea, a few pages of a book, a bath, or simply a few minutes of silence. Taking care of myself is a way of loving them better, of supporting them better each day. It’s how I give them a calm and whole mother.

What surprised you the most about motherhood?

The intensity of the love. It’s dizzying, powerful, sometimes overwhelming. But also the inner strength it has revealed in me. I didn’t know I could love so deeply, be so patient, so resilient. Motherhood has changed me forever - and for the better.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO TOGETHER AS A FAMILY?

We love walking all four of us, collecting treasures in nature, baking cakes, inventing stories. But one of our greatest joys is the precious moments spent in my children’s playroom: creating memories, building forts, playing made-up games. That’s where the magic happens, in those simple, love-filled moments.