Grand Slam winner — 23 times over — Serena Williams is having some seriously sad feels about missing a major milestone in the life of daughter Alexis Olympia, 10 months old.
She took her first steps… I was training and missed it. I cried.
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) July 7, 2018
Williams tweeted, “She took her first steps. . . I was in training and missed it. I cried.”
More: Serena Williams Returns to Tennis 5 Months After Giving Birth
Williams’ tweet was so relatable, thousands of friends and fans sent loving words to the tennis icon to reassure her that missing moments is just a normal part of parenthood. Chrissy Teigen responded to Williams’ lament, saying, “[Alexis Olympia] is practicing so you can see the real ones.”
she is practicing so you can see the real ones. ❤️
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) July 8, 2018
One day care provider touched hearts with her sweet observation about the big “firsts.”
https://twitter.com/DonnaRwolfe/status/1015590443382378496
In fact, in a world of rampant social media mommy-shaming, the outpouring of support for Williams was downright wonderful:
https://twitter.com/gnarlymo/status/1015515106615218178
https://twitter.com/AradiseDP/status/1016039604091342854
Working moms understand your sorrow. She will be better for the fact that you are a strong and phenomenal force in the world, but I know that won't take away the sting in your heart today…
— Dr. NiCole T. Buchanan (she/her) (@_DrNiCole) July 8, 2018
Williams — who shares her daughter with Reddit cofounder and husband Alexis Ohanian — has been candid about the challenges of balancing her tennis career with motherhood. Her decision to wean Olympia (she calls the baby by her middle name) at six months was a painful one according to Williams. “I literally sat Olympia in my arms, I talked to her, we prayed about it,” Williams said at a July 1 London news conference just ahead of her Wimbledon match. “I told her, ‘Look, I’m going to stop. Mommy has to do this.’ I cried a little bit, not as much as I thought I was. She was fine.”
View this post on Instagram
More: Serena Williams’ Daughter Is Teething
In her HBO documentary, Being Serena, Williams said, “Breastfeeding is an incredibly personal thing.” She also called it “magical.” Still, she revealed that her breastfeeding kept her at 205 pounds, not her fighting weight. She lost 10 pounds within a week of weaning Olympia, and her training improved. “The truth is I miss my body, being able to do other kinds of amazing things. I miss playing tennis. Mostly, I miss winning. Winning’s always been the way I define myself, and I want it to stay that way for a long time,” Williams said.
We’re thinking Olympia will learn to take it all in stride. Hey, there will definitely be perks to having a working mom who is the best tennis player on the planet — free tennis lessons for one — and it’s clear these two already have an incredible mama-daughter bond.
View this post on Instagram
Leave a Comment