“This crying thing, it’s kind of a daily occurrence. But don’t worry about me, I’m fine. No, really, I AM FINE. I promise. It’s just this whole living through a pandemic, parenting through one, managing distance-learning for three various-aged kids, socially distancing, and not having retail shopping or indoor eating as an option for stress relief, it’s got me taxed to the max.
I know what you’re thinking…fourth-grade math isn’t hard—except it is, ’cause I don’t remember sh*t about multiples, primes, factors, or fractions. And why the heck am I complaining about monitoring a circle time and helping teach early math and the alphabet?
Because my youngest will start kindergarten next year, and I want her to be up to speed and not fall behind, thanks to me. And helping someone learn to read and write, thoroughly and well, it doesn’t sound all that challenging, right? Except it is, especially when your first grader lacks full motivation or a consistent desire to expand their skills, because schooling from home and not being with their peers, well, it ain’t really doing it for them.
For us, mamas, it is truly just that hard to be everything to everyone all at once, and to make sure we’re doing it at an acceptable volume as not to disrupt our spouse who is working from home, and to make sure the WiFi is working, meals are being cooked, laundry is being done, the house is getting cleaned, and we’re taking care of any other work we might have or want to complete.
I’d be lying to you if I said I haven’t cried a whole h*ll of a lot since mid-March, but I’d also be lying to you if I contended these days aren’t changing me, helping me, improving me, and aiding me in becoming a better, more resilient, more adaptable, more open-minded, stronger, faith-filled, and grateful human.
The days can feel long, no doubt. Sometimes a day will test me. Sometimes a day will break me. But I’m blessed as fudge to occupy this loony house with four beautiful and incredible individuals who remind me every evening how I don’t just mean the world to them, but I am their world, and they thank God they are in mine.
So yeah, this crying thing, it’s kind of a daily occurrence. I cry morning, mid-day, and bewitching hour cries of frustration and exhaustion, and I cry nighttime tears of guilt and gratitude, as I suspect many mothers do. No one ever said being a mama was easy, but it’s easy to see why God made mamas, as there is no other cohort of humans on this planet who could do what they do, day in and day out.
Remind any mama you know you don’t just see her, but you respect the h*ll out of her, and you’re there for her.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Nicole Merritt of Jthreenme, where the post originally appeared. You can follow her on Facebook, her website, or podcast. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
Read more stories from Nicole:
Provide hope for someone struggling. SHARE this story on Facebook with friends and family.