Every mother is a goddess. Creating a human with your body is more than a superpower, and nurturing that new little life is a full-time job. We wanted to feature some special mothers who have a very exciting life in Beijing either as entrepreneurs or creatives, and who might be able to impart a bit of wisdom on finding balance between their professional and familial obligations. With some hair and makeup help from Blow + Bar in Sanlitun, we took to the streets of Beijing for some wonderful pictures that show off their fierce individuality. After all, there’s more than one way to mother.
Ember Swift is from Canada and has lived in Beijing for 10 years. With two kids, Echo (6) and Topaz (4), Swift has built a career in Beijing as a professional musician, writer, voice-over artist, tutor, and translator. Swift manages her busy career and family life with patience, determination, a desire for balance, creativity, and lots of help from her in-laws. You can catch her performing live at the city’s best music venues, including School Bar, Dawn Dusk Club (DDC), and many others, to see why her unique voice and guitar playing has won the hearts of many in the capital.
Dear Echo and Topaz,
Of course, life changes when a person becomes a parent, but I didn’t realize that it would be my entire definition of love that would transform so dramatically. Only after becoming a mother did I understand love in its purest form. You two are at the center of my heart. You two have taught me true love.
If I can encourage you to do anything in the future, it is to learn to truly listen—not just to the words directing you as you will so often be encouraged to do (tinghua!), but to those words unsaid, to the feelings that come, to the music in every day sounds, to the possibilities that are whispering to you from beyond the obvious. Listen to it all. Even the silence.
I am your mother; my love for you both will never falter. No matter where you are in the world, I will always be your home.
Photos: Uni You
This article appeared on p48-53 of beijingkids May 2018 issue.
