Fab Mom: Dr. Mara Windsor
Dr. Mara Windsor is a celebrated physician, philanthropist, advocate for wellness and mom of three. She most recently launched L.I.F.E. (Living in Fulfilled Enlightenment), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional and spiritual wellness of professionals, which during the pandemic has given support to frontline workers, provided virtual wellness crisis support and hosted health-focused events and lectures.
Mom of: Ella, 14; Sawyer, 12; and Drake, 7
Hometown: I was born in Albuquerque, NM, but moved to Phoenix when I was very young and grew up here.
Favorite ways to spend family time in AZ: My favorite family night before the pandemic was Studio Movie Grill because you could see a movie and eat dinner all in a two-hour span. No kids were fighting, there was no cooking or cleaning and I could have a glass of wine! We also love to hike and really love Sedona. We started going about six years ago and now go every year. All of us always have such a great time. We also love sushi and our favorite sushi restaurant is Sushi Ko. We also love Pomo Pizzeria and Pita Jungle. During the pandemic when there wasn’t a lot to do, we also started riding bikes together on the golf course we live on, which we love and try to do as often as possible.
Your most rewarding motherhood moment: My most recent rewarding moment was my daughter getting into Xavier for high school because I went to Xavier and my husband went to Brophy so we want our children to continue that legacy. I want nothing more for my daughter than that because Xavier taught me to be an independent woman and gave me the steppingstones for my career. I didn’t know it at the time, but I know it now. The community aspect of the school as well as the sports and academics are incredible.
Biggest challenge as a mom: Trying to find work-life balance, which I used to believe was an attainable goal, but through my research I’ve now realized is an illusion. There’s the wave of life and sometimes it’s really easy and sometimes it’s really hard. We all fall a lot, but the most important thing is getting back up and continuing to thrive and excel. I’ve learned that every day is different, and you can’t control outcomes or what your children do so it’s about how you choose to respond and grow from it. The balance is kind of like your mood – some days you are tired, some days you have a ton of energy and get a lot accomplished. If you resist the highs and lows, that’s where the stress comes in. It’s not always easy to do because horrible things happen, but I believe there a lesson, reason and journey behind it which helps me.
A mother who inspires you and why: I have a lot of amazing girlfriends who inspire me all the time, but I have to go back to my mom. She grew up with a lot of adversity and didn’t have support financially or emotionally with my father. She always struggled as working single mom and now as an adult mother, I know she was always doing her best and I am thankful for that because it allowed me to be where I am today. Although as a teen I would have never admitted, she taught me a lot of my life skills and resiliency tools so I could make it through the adversity I’ve experienced. Watching her through her struggles inspired me to want to get an education and not rely on anyone financially and also inspired me to attain higher goals.
Best piece of advice for a new mom: When I think or parenthood, I think of your first pregnancy and your pregnancy plan – thinking it’s all going to be perfect, but then that doesn’t happen. It’s like life; we cannot control the outcome. Motherhood is about learning to let go of that and just do the best that you can that day and not ruminate over the what ifs and should haves – whether you work or not you constantly have guilt about not being enough for children. Even when things go wrong, it’s about how we deal with the moment and how we react to what happens that defines us. I wish I would have known that 15 years ago. We can only do our best to provide our kids with the tools and support to make good decisions, but we cannot control the outcomes.
Your biggest hope for your children: I hope through the work I do, being an adaptable and supportive mother, physician and philanthropist that I inspire them to be better and greater and want more for themselves and their children. Through my adversity and life experiences, I want to teach them resiliency so they can live a life that’s less stressful.
How are you celebrating Mother’s Day: Usually no one plans anything, so I have to tell them what I want to happen. My favorite thing is typically to go out to brunch or a meal where the kids can play and my husband and I can sit, connect and have a glass of Champagne. I usually have to work – this year I’ll be working from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., so maybe dinner at Rita’s Kitchen.