I know this is a "hard season" of life. But I also know—because every well-meaning person over 40 tells me constantly—that these days go by so fast and to cherish them.
Now that I'm a tired mama with a baby on her hip and a toddler by her side I'm learning you can never say no too many times. No to extra stressors, no to unrealistic expectations, no to too many commitments on the family calendar.
I thought of all the times that I'd felt left out. I could still feel that hollowness settling in my stomach and that heaviness pressing against my chest when I'd find out that friends were doing something I wasn't a part of.
"I wasn't ready," she told USA Today. "I don't think anyone is ever ready. I definitely knew I wanted kids, but the decision, it was not something that I had, like, planned."
Rest is not a luxury or something that belongs on our self-care wish list. Rest is something our bodies need to survive. It is as vital to our health as eating and drinking, and yet we are expected to do all the things and perform at our best when our primary source of energy is barely sustaining us.
Moms are entitled to feel exhausted or overwhelmed or defeated, and they're allowed to express those feelings. We should never shame them for doing so.
Luckily, I have this toddler who often lives for nothing but the moment, and I am doing my best to learn all I can from him and help him hold on to this skill before life tries to drag it away.
