20/06/2025
Your Worth Is Not Defined by Others
Musings from a Nomad Educator and Mother of a Growing Son
There were days when I used to stand between two worlds: the classroom (online and on-site) and the home. One where I guide many, and one where I nurture one. As a nomad educator, I’ve taught across cultures and continents, adapting with every new place, every new learner. And as a mother of a curious five-year-old boy, I’m learning again, this time through tiny shoes and big questions.
But no matter where I am, I sometimes feel it—that quiet sting of judgment. The tilted head. The raised eyebrow. Recently my character was questioned because of a wrong decision, a mistake made. unintentionally. The whispered comment. The inner voice that asks: Did I choose wrong? Was I enough in that moment?
These are the days when I make an unintentional mistake—snap from exhaustion, say yes when I should’ve said no, or forget a meeting because I was reading with my son on the floor. These moments sit with me, heavier than they should, not because they are catastrophic, but because they are seen. And when others see them, they sometimes see failure. And in those moments, I begin to question not just the decision but myself.
But then I remind myself: My worth is not defined by others.
Not by a colleague’s silent judgment. Not even by anyone who thinks they know everything, except you. Not by a stranger’s comment. Not even by the whisper of my own self-doubt.
I am raising a child while guiding other lives. I am teaching while learning. I am shaping while still being shaped.
In all the places I’ve taught, I’ve learned that growth is messy. That the most resilient children—and adults—are not the ones who avoid mistakes, but the ones who learn how to forgive themselves and how to try again. That includes me.
My child doesn’t need a mother who always gets it right. My students don’t need a teacher who never struggles. They need someone who is honest, present, and human. Someone who can model what it means to stumble and still walk forward with grace.
I may not have roots planted in one place, but I carry something deeper: intention. Whether in the classroom or in the kitchen, with students or with my son, I show up. I give. I reflect. I try again.
So, to anyone like me—navigating motherhood, purpose, and the long road of becoming—I offer this reminder:
You are not the sum of others’ opinions. You are not reduced to a single moment of doubt. You are doing sacred, difficult work—loving, teaching, raising, becoming. And that, in itself, is worthy.
Have a meaningful and peaceful Friday!
