TV and radio presenter Luthando “Lootlove” Shosha has graced the cover of parenting magazine “Batswadi” with her precious 5-year-old twin girls, Sisizwe and Zanothando, affectionately known as Hip and Hop.
In the feature, the Metro FM presenter gives a raw and unfiltered glimpse into her profound journey of motherhood.
“Their arrival has truly taught me that there is your plan and then there is God’s plan. And that God’s plan is always best,” she says.
The former “Live AMP” presenter reflects on the emotional highs and lows of becoming a mother and speaks of the beauty and chaos of the life-changing experience.
“It’s a beautiful purification process that brings you back to yourself. You start examining your life, questioning who you are, what defines you, your beliefs, and your design. Are you listening to yourself? Are you listening to God? … This is the closest I have been to God.”
Not one to have dreamt of a white picket fence, marriage and having kids, LootLove was fearful of the journey that lay ahead when she found out that she was expecting at the age of 29.
“I just didn’t want kids. So, when it happened, I was freaked out but after months of internal conversations, I had to lean into it and completely surrender.”
Now she’s taken on her mother’s parenting style, raising twins with different big personality traits.
“The one girl has very big feelings. She is headstrong, intuitive and sensitive to energy, emotions and expressions, and I think it is such a beautiful thing. And in the same breath, she is bold and fearless. She is the one who would probably pick up a lizard and bring it to me.
“The other twin is the morning person, happy all day, the clown. She is hilarious and clumsy; when she falls, she gets up quickly, says the craziest things and is definitely the little, naughty sister. And although she’s the one to sing all day, she’s afraid of bugs.”
LootLove discusses how she has had to allow her children to see her at her most vulnerable moments, while being mindful of not burdening them.
“One of the most important things I learned from therapy is to show your children emotions … Life is not linear.
“So, I’m quite expressive with my emotions, but I’m also wary of not burdening them and now using them as my emotional crutch. I am aware that I need to strike a balance so I do not wear them down.”