Dear Working Mom,
I know there are days you feel exhausted. You feel as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Like there are too many needs swirling around you to ever meet each one adequately.
I see you rushing through the morning, trying to soak up as many seconds with your kids as possible before rushing them off to school or daycare and going to work. Your heart breaks on those days that sweet little voice says, “Mama, I don’t want to go to school. I just want to stay home together and play.” Oh, how it hurts to say goodbye on those days.
There are days you feel like no one understands the balance you’re trying to find. The balance that always seems to be just beyond your reach. Trying to juggle it all feels so manageable one day, and then the next, it feels near impossible.
I know you wonder if you’re doing the right thing . . . if you’re making the right choices. Are you enough for your career? Are you enough for your children?
But Mama, please hear me:
You are enough.
You are enough.
You are enough.
You are enough for your children. Your early morning kisses mean the world to them. How you light up the second you see them after work brings life to them every time. The little notes you put in their lunches. The bedtime stories you read to them. The weekend snuggles. The family vacations. The baseball games and dance recitals. You are building memories that will last a lifetime.
You are enough for your career even when you’re exhausted after being awakened multiple times in the middle of the night. Soothing a sleepy toddler or feeding a hungry baby, you find the strength to pour your all into your job and complete each task with excellence. You press through even when you’re fighting to find the heart to engage. You get down to business and dig deep to find the passion that drew you to this career in the first place. Your drive and dedication are an inspiration.
Not only are you inspiring your peers, but you are also inspiring those who will come after you. Your children see you working tirelessly, and they’re learning lifelong lessons. They are learning the value of hard work. The importance of pursuing their dreams. And that they, too, are capable of working hard for the things they want and succeeding. You are setting a beautiful example for them that they will look back on for years to come.
Working mom, you are doing a great job! They say it gets easier with time. I’m not convinced it gets easier – it will always be a struggle to say goodbye to your babies in the morning. It will always be a struggle to work late into the night after they go to sleep. It is hard. But it is so worth it. And in the midst of the hard, there is joy. Balance may always feel beyond reach, but happiness and contentment abound. There’s fulfillment in knowing you are raising little people who will grow into strong, confident adults who believe it is worth pursuing their dreams. There is beauty in the special times you spend with your family. And, there is satisfaction in growing into your career passions as you grow your family.
Don’t give up, Mama! Even on the hard days, there is beauty. Be present. Soak up the sweet moments. We are all so proud of you.
