It doesn’t matter if she is a stay-at-home mom, a mom who works outside of the home, a mom who works from an office in her home, a single mom, or a partnered mom. Life in the motherhood is a beast. A beauty of a beast perhaps, but a beast nonetheless.
Every mom I know reaches the end of her rope more often than she would like. And then feels guilty and ashamed about how she did or didn’t handle whatever it was that happened. Falling into bed on those nights, she knows that there are no do-overs for the day behind her, only the chance to do it differently tomorrow.
Every mom I know is tired to the core, and wonders if there will ever come a day when she isn’t exhausted.
Every mom I know cares deeply about being a really good mom, and yet wonders deep down inside if she will ever be good enough.
Every mom I know, more often than not, puts the needs of her children, and others for that matter, above her own.
Every mom I know has moments of feeling alone and isolated.
Every mom I know loves being a mom and has moments when she hates being a mom, and sometimes both at the same time.
Every mom I know can’t wait until she haas more time to herself even as she senses that time is flying by too fast.
Every mom I know is clear that she needs to make her own health and well-being a priority, and yet struggles to find the energy and resources to do so.
If I could, I would make universal childcare a reality starting today, along with affordable and easily accessible healthcare (including mental healthcare), early childhood education, quality public education, living wages, affordable nutritious food, and sensible gun control. I’d remove the politicians who don’t support those things, and replace them with those who do. I would if I could, but I can’t.
So.
Why am I writing about this? I’m not exactly sure except to say that I feel compelled to name the truth of what I see. To proclaim to all of the moms I know, and all of the ones I don’t, that I see you. I hear you, care about you, and am deeply grateful for all that you are doing to raise the next generation of humans. I will listen to you without offering easy words of advice. I will be a place where you can scream, cry, vent, rage, and swear, and will share my thoughts if asked and work hard to keep them to myself if not.
It has always taken a village to raise a child, but the village is harder to come by these days. Let’s be their village.
