I See You, Mama

I see you waking up early in the morning, not because you had a good night’s sleep but because your little one is up.

I see you making coffee before you even have breakfast because your eye lids feel so heavy.

I see you prepping lunches for school while getting everyone ready in the morning because you were too tired to do those lunches the night before.

I see you rushing out the door, singing along with your kids in the car and kissing them before they go to school.

I see you when you come home tired after a long day at work but so happy to see your little ones again.

I see you laughing, I see you playing, I see you loving.

I see you having to stop because you have to make dinner.

I see you cooking the healthiest meal you can whip up with the little energy you have left.

I see you washing dishes. I see you tidying up.

I see you when you wonder how is it 10pm and you still haven’t sat down to relax.

I see you looking at the watch and realizing once again you stayed up too late, but you needed that “me time” and it was worth it.

I see you staying up in bed wondering if you’re doing things right, wondering if things could have gone better, wondering if you’re a good mama for your child…

Motherhood is one big rollercoaster ride, there are times you are up high seeing the beauty of it all and other times where you wish this day would end.

That is motherhood, with high and lows. And just because one day you feel like you’re struggling, it doesn’t make you a bad mother. And just because you are having the best day of your life with your kids, it doesn’t make someone else a bad mother.

Motherhood is not an end goal, but a journey. A journey where both you and your child are learning together, where you come to understand who you really are, where your child comes to learn who they really are.

Motherhood doesn’t end, not even when your child leaves the home, because the love between a mother and a child transcends it all. And even when your child doesn’t need you, there will come a day when they will, and you will be there waiting with open arms to catch them when they fall.

But just because you love your child, just because you want to be the best mother, it doesn’t mean you should loose yourself to motherhood either. Motherhood is a fine balance between your children and not forgetting who YOU are.

So many of us put ourselves last because we think it’s best for our families but then we snap, we yell, we cry, we feel burned out… That is because you cannot give others what you don’t have in yourself. Taking care of you, mama, making yourself a priority, it is not being selfish.

You need to feel good about yourself, you need to feel fulfilled in life, you need to feel loved in order to give this to your child. And you can accomplish both at once, without sacrificing you or your child. All it takes is a little creativity and thinking outside of the box.

Learn how to recharge with your kids around: take a walk in nature, read a story together, have a tickle fight or relax and watch a movie.
Do more things that bring you joy, even if it seems silly.
Work on something you love, that you are passionate about and if you have a job you hate, make a game plan to replace it with something your heart desires.

This life is too short, mama, too short to waste it doing things you don’t love. Too short to miss wonderful moments with your kids. Too short to let it pass by.

I see you, mama, I see you struggling, I see you smiling, I see you loving, I see you trying to figure it all out. I see you, mama, because I am you. And you are me.

We are in this together, mama. Let’s stop trying to figure things out alone, let’s stop thinking we need to do it all (even if you can). Let’s find our tribe, let’s make a community, for the sake of our children and for our own well-being.

I see you, mama, and you matter too!