Maggie McGill

Eugene feels just right for this mom of two, even if she still might be on aloha time.

Family comes first.

All families are unique. Tell us about yours.

The first time Sean and I met, we sat for coffee and talked for hours about our dreams. I was a school psychologist intern at the time and was developing a girl’s group for resilience rooted in mindfulness and yoga. Sean was creating a cartoon, about a punk rock Iranian-American of all things. I wanted to change the world with mindfulness and he wanted to chase his dreams of being a writer, director and musician. We followed our dreams to the Big Island of Hawaii, where we got married and had Bodhi, and back to Georgia, where we had Delilah and connected with family.

When we decided to move to Oregon, we had never been. I dreamed of mossy forests and beaches and snow-capped mountains, and Eugene just sounded right. Every new discovery about the area felt like coming home, from its roots in advocacy and social justice to the Saturday Market and the Oregon Country Fair.

Every family has its own traditions, rituals or inside jokes. What are some of yours?

One of my favorite traditions our family has started is on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. A day that invites us to slow down and get cozy with the family. We turn off our devices, make handmade decorations and keep all the lights off when the sun goes down. We eat dinner and read stories by the lights of the candles and the Christmas tree. This brief pause allows us to find peace in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and has become one of our favorite traditions.

When did you know you wanted to be a mom?

I knew when I saw that little pink line it was meant to be. Call it destiny or fate, I don’t know. We weren’t trying, but I knew immediately our whole life was about to change. I knew he was meant for us, and

I knew we were meant to be a family.

Tell us about one of your proudest mom moments.

My son was in kindergarten at the time, and like many kids post-Covid, was having a hard time adjusting to school. We were doing everything to help him regulate his emotions, and one practice we started was morning meditation. Every single morning for 40 days, this little five-year-old sat still for three whole minutes and just…breathed. So we’ve been doing this for a while, and he was in the office one day, as he so often was, when another little boy ran in having a really hard time. He ran under a desk, covered his ears and was distraught. Bodhi gently sat down next to him, took his hands and asked him to breathe with him. And these two boys sat under this desk, just taking deep breaths together. And it worked. Both of them came out better than they were before. Often we wonder if the lessons we’re teaching our children are working for them in the real world, and there’s nothing more affirming than seeing it in action.

Now tell us about one of your most humbling mom moments.

Honestly, it was receiving the email that I was going to be in this magazine! I was not prepared for the flood of emotion. Unexpectedly, I cried, with joy and gratitude, and also shock and bewilderment. My first thought was, “I know so many other moms who deserve this so much more than I do!” and I still think that.

What is the most surprising thing you have found wedged between the sofa cushions or behind a car seat?

After being a mom for eight years, nothing surprises me anymore. We have the usual Goldfish, crayons, scraps of paper, Pokémon cards and more little trinkets than I know what to do with. We also have lots of sticks, rocks, dried flowers and plenty of moss.

We’re all moms so we know that no one is perfect all of the time, or even some of the time. Tell us about your most recent “Mother of the Year” moment. You know, like forgetting to pick the kids up from school.

I’m always late. It’s a running joke with some of my mom friends. I’m on Aloha time. My kids are probably stopping to smell the roses or taking five hours to get their shoes on, and I probably lost my keys again. We’ll get there eventually. You can go on without us, and we’ll catch up.

What is something you swore you would never do before kids that you now do (skip showers, go to a drive through coffee in your pjs, etc.)?

I never thought I’d do all the “normal” parent stuff like join the PTA or be a soccer mom. Now? I spend my days balancing parent council meetings, ballet practice and football games. It may not be the life I thought, but we do it our own weird way, and I’ll happily do it time and time again if it means showing up for my kids and my community.

You know you’re a mom when you hear yourself say…

Their full name!

No one works harder than mom.

Tell us about your work or volunteerism outside of the home.

I’m a school psychologist, and

a lot of my work revolves around special education evaluation and identifying students’ learning needs. I have a passion for helping kids and for bringing mindfulness into schools. A couple years ago,

I received a grant to create a “mindful space” at Family School which has since bloomed into a beautiful calm space for our students. I wrote a “Mindful Mondays” newsletter for staff with weekly yoga poses and mindful practices for the classroom. I also developed and led groups for middle school girls that uses mindfulness, yoga and art therapy to build resilience and overcome challenges.

Most recently, I’ve shifted my attention to community events and community building. For the past two years I have helped organize a Winter Market for our school. With a focus on sustainability, shopping local and inclusivity, we offered tokens to every child so they could “shop” the market and also offered crafting stations and a free gift exchange.

Tell us about a recent achievement you’re proud of, or a personal passion or talent.

I recently completed a specialized yoga-teacher training and am excited to begin teaching again soon. I have been practicing for about 20 years now, and I’m a huge advocate that yoga is for every body and should be accessible for all. I hope to begin offering free gatherings around town soon.

If mom’s not happy, nobody’s happy.

Tell us about your upbringing. How did it shape the mother you are today?

My philosophy is to remember the good times, and learn from everything else. No one’s upbringing was perfect, and I know so many moms, who are doing their best to overcome the adversity they experienced in their childhood with a commitment to do better for their own kids. My family wasn’t perfect either, but they gave me a framework in which to see the world. They taught me to accept everyone, and embrace the things about myself that make me unique.

Where did you grow up, and how did it influence you?

I grew up in Georgia to an upper-middle class family. We went to private school and the country club, and enjoyed the types of things that white, middle-class families enjoy in the South. But this never felt right to me. Even as a young girl, I could see the disparity among different people. I couldn’t accept that I was some-how “special” or entitled to things other people weren’t. I carried this with me through my early years and ended up working at a school in DeKalb County, just outside of Atlanta, as a school psychologist intern. I worked at an elementary school where they had to keep trash cans in the hallways when it rained to catch what the leaky roof could not. I refused to accept a world in which this is a child’s reality. My experiences have shown me a system that does not work for everyone, and it has greatly influenced how I see the world.

What is one thing you never had that you want for your kids?

A truly free world. One in which everyone has food, shelter, medicine and clean water. An earth that is cared for and protected and honored. I believe a world like this is possible, and it’s my sincerest hope we can achieve this for future generations.

If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, in which event would you win a gold medal?

Sleeping. I could sleep longer than any other human, I’m 99 percent sure of it.

Tell us something about you that would surprise people who don’t know you.

I’m almost 11 years alcohol-free and proud of it! Shout out to all my sober mamas out there.

What is your least/most favorite household chore?

I don’t mind loading the dishwasher, but I don’t like handwashing. In true ADHD fashion, I will hyper-focus and organize an entire closet then have it be a mess two weeks later.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I’m mostly low-maintenance, but I splurge on my clothes. I value-check every brand we shop, and we don’t compromise when it comes to our values. If it’s not sustainable, fair trade and ethically sourced, I won’t buy it.

Listen to mom.

Who and what has influenced the mother you are today?

My grandmother, MamaSue. She had this incredible ability to really see you. When you talked, she listened. When she gave you a hug, it felt like all the world’s troubles would melt away. Her warmth and her spirit have always inspired me and continue to influence how I approach mothering.

Is motherhood what you expected? What surprised you the most?

It’s a lot harder than I expected. I didn’t know how much work I would need to do to heal my own inner child, or how much work I needed to do on my Self to show up for my family consistently every day. We all make mistakes, but we have to ask what mistakes are patterns, and how do we change those patterns so they don’t keep repeating? That’s the work I’m committed to as a mom, and it’s been surprising to see how much my life has changed, for the better, since having kids.

---

MOMs love local…

We love locally owned businesses, restaurants, places and organizations. Share your favorite…

…shop to pick up a gift for friend: Eugene Saturday Market

…coffee spot: Old Crow Coffee

…spot to get a good workout: Everyday People Yoga

…hair salon: The Collective Eugene

…restaurant to take the kids: Roaring Rapids

…take-out, food truck or quick bite: Kai’s Asian Street Food

…boutique to find a new shirt or home décor item: Flux Crystals

…local park where kids can let off steam: Hendricks Park

…event in your community: Family School’s Winter Market

…any other local places you love: Music Education and Performing Artists Association, MECCA

MOM’s favorite…

Tell us about your favorite…

…family games: Wildcraft, Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart World

…place to find some peace & quiet: Hendricks Bridge Park in the summer, Thurston Natural Area all year-round

…binge-worthy TV: Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock on Apple TV

…children’s musical artist: Mama Nous

…time-saving digital tool: Our shared calendar

…parenting philosophy: Conscious parenting

…words to live by: Choose love

…favorite quote: “You have to act as if it were possible to radically change the world. And you have to do it all the time.” — Angela Davis