Christina Aguilera is relying on her mother, her son and her closest friends to help her through the emotional turmoil of her divorce from Jordan Bratman.
"It's not easy, and there have been a lot of tears and sadness. It's impossible to redefine yourself and your life overnight," the pop star, 29, tells Redbook in its November issue, on newsstands November 16th.
"Thankfully, I have my mom and a small group of close friends who are there for me 24/7 and whom I can trust and depend on. On days when it feels impossible to even get out of bed, much less function as a mother, their support and encouragement have kept me moving forward."
Also, her son Max, who will be 3 in January, remains a source of joy – and someone she can focus on. "Thankfully, I have Max to keep me on a sane path," Aguilera says. "His needs and happiness are my top priorities, and my biggest concern is to protect him and make him feel safe."
Asked about the details of her split, she adds: "Out of respect for my husband, I prefer to keep the specifics private. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out how to make it through each day."
Jennifer Lopez's world turned upside down when twins Max and Emme were born in March 2008. In the two years since then, she's changed with it.
"I can't help but be a different person now that I've had kids," the singer and actress, 40, tells the May issue of Redbook, on newsstands April 20th. "That really does change your whole perspective on life for the better. I definitely feel like I've grown up."
It took a little while to get up to speed. Lopez relied on husband Marc Anthony, who had two sons with previous wife Dayanara Torres, to teach her the basics of diaper changing. Lopez says she was almost afraid to touch the babies at first "because I might hurt them, because they were only five pounds each."
After two years as a mom, she is now a pro.
"My main priority now is that my kids are happy; that's my No. 1 focus in life," she says. "Are these little people happy, content, and getting everything they need? Everything after that is secondary. Before, my work was my main priority – even above myself."
The kids, in return, have nourished her. "I think the biggest thing they've taught me is what loving someone is and what it should feel like," she says. "This is what unconditional love means. It's crazy, but it's heaven and earth."
And when she can't be with them, she feels the downside of love: guilt. "I didn't know that feeling before," she says. "You don't know about it because nobody ever tells you. I think it's because women are a little ashamed to admit it. You feel guilty whenever you can't have your kids right there with you on your hip."
Lopez has a busy spring and summer planned. Her first film in three years, The Back-Up Plan, comes out this month, following by a guest-starring role on Glee and the summer release of her new CD, Love?.
Christina Aguilera is relying on her mother, her son and her closest friends to help her through the emotional turmoil of her divorce from Jordan Bratman.
