Have you seen that meme? The one that says “I’m not an early bird or a night owl but some sort of perpetually exhausted pigeon.” Welcome to the life of a mom.
Category: Real Talk w/Holly Richardson
Call it a vibe, or a tone, or an ambiance or a mood – whatever you call it, kids can feel it. And mama influences it. No pressure.
I was surprised to find myself teary-eyed. I was teary-eyed because it was just all so normal. We are emerging from the “long dark” blinking into the sunlight because all at once (it seems), it burst forth. Just like all dark times, eventually, they fade and the sun shines again.
If you see us wandering this summer, we’re (probably) not lost. Come say hi and maybe we’ll explore together for a little while.
In spite of all my imperfections – and any mother’s imperfections – it’s still been a lifetime of learning and loving.
I had “discovered” that mom’s work does not start at 8 am and end at 5 pm. There was always something more that needed to be done. The mom “to-do” list is never finished. I was burned out.
Embrace the ‘and.’ You’re a mother AND….There is a time and a season for everything. When it’s your season, go for it. I did it. So can you.
You can challenge all sorts of things – you can challenge inequities, challenge bias, challenge assumptions, challenge stereotypes, challenge the status quo, challenge the gender pay gap, and challenge sexism, both hostile and benevolent. You can even challenge yourself.
Being knee-deep in poopy diapers was not exactly my dream job…but I can look back on my 34 years of being a parent and see how selfishness has been squeezed out of me, how patience has increased many times over from those early days, how my abilities to deal with melt-downs and all manner of come-aparts have grown, and how I found God in the trenches.
Dreaming can be scary, I get it. It takes time to dream. It takes emotional energy to dream. But fellow traveler on the mom path – we need to do it. Our family needs us to do it. Our kids need us to do it and the world needs us to do it.