Some Love To My Fellow Moms

On this Mother’s Day, it only seems fitting to send some love to my fellow ladies who work so hard to truly be amazing moms at home, at work, and wherever we go.

You wake each morning, ready to tackle the day ahead, powering through your routine to make sure you’re ready for work before getting kiddos dressed, fed, teeth brushed, and lunches packed. If you’re one of the lucky ones, maybe you got to sneak in an hour to exercise first, but sometimes that’s a rare feat. You lather on their sunscreen and get them out the door, and if you’re anything like me, on more than one occasion you’ve probably left the house with mismatched earrings or mascara on only one eye because someone stole your attention while you hurriedly tried to get it all done. No worries – you’re a mom; it’s okay, and you’re doing your best. Don’t forget to pack the napkins you volunteered to bring for the class party.

Your days are likely filled with meetings, deadlines, proposals, reports, trainings, and more at the office. Your mind is racing as you’re trying to do your best to be the top-notch professional you know you can be. Your heart skips a beat when you look down at your phone and see the school calling, knowing in that instant your next call is not going to be the webinar you’re scheduled to lead, but instead a ring to the pediatrician because someone has a fever. Thankfully, today isn’t that day – it’s just a skinned knee and they’re letting you know everything is okay and not to worry. Back to work, but you’ve been there before. In that moment, you pause briefly and worry that your kids don’t get enough hugs, snuggles, and trips to the library or the park, but you know they love you and you love them right back even more. Every day you’re showing them what it means to work hard, be dedicated, stay strong, never give up, and do your best. The moment passes, and then you jump on that webinar with a little pang of guilt, but you know you’re doing the right thing.

You pick the kids up in the evening, probably after their after-school program as the last few moms are pulling into the parking lot right alongside you. You share a brief conversation with these gals, as they’ve quickly become some of your best friends. They get you. You get them. You have just a moment to connect and catch up, likely about the upcoming class trip to the zoo that you’ve both booked a vacation day to attend so you can chaperone and be there for your kids. As you walk down the hall together, you enter the classroom, so excited to hug your kiddos. The little ones embrace you – hard, eager to see your smiling face and show you their latest creation from art class. The older ones might be sad to leave their friends at the end of the day, but you know you’ll get some good conversations out of them right before you close the last page of tonight’s bedtime story. They have so much to share and you want to learn it all.

You drive home and tackle dinner, a load of laundry, a dishwasher to unload, some outside play in the backyard, and then it’s baths, stories, and sleep. You might fall asleep on the pillow right next to them. You try to rally after those final hugs of the night to spend some quality time doing something for yourself, or simply to have a few moments with your husband or a significant other. Sometimes you can pull those eyelids back open to make it happen. You might even sneak in a few pages of the book you’re trying to read, or the latest episode of your show that you DVR’d last week. Or was it the week before? How many weeks are you behind on this season? It doesn’t really matter. Life is moving fast, you’re exhausted, but it’s love and you’ve tried your best all day, every day.

You head to bed knowing you’ve given your day 110%. Your family, your colleagues, your company, your friends – every person and every project got your best effort. You mom like a champ, work like a champ, and know that when you follow your heart and do the right thing, it always works out. Your life is full and no matter what comes up, you’ve got this. You’re a mom and you’re amazing. Yes, you stumble and fall along the way, but with heart and passion you get right back up and dust off the scrapes and bruises just like you tell your kids to do.

So, today – no matter how the day unfolds – be thankful for the crazy in our lives, the love in our hearts, and enjoy both a moment for yourself and a moment with the ones who have made you so happy (and equally as tired), knowing that you’re showing your family the love, heart, and the commitment it takes to do the right thing.