Read a letter written for you

Dear mama,

I want you to know that if today feels really hard, you are not alone.

When I became a mom, it was something I never expected for myself. My daughter was a surprise and suddenly I found myself in a role I had never imagined I would have. We didn’t have a village. There wasn’t always someone to call, someone to come over or someone to tell me “I’ve got you.”

There were so many nights of waking up exhausted, wondering when I would finally feel rested again. So many days of constantly being needed, constantly doing, constantly giving. And sometimes, when you’re in the middle of it, it can feel like those hard moments are going to last forever. But they don’t.

The sleepless nights eventually change. The things that feel impossible today become things you look back on and realize you made it through. Your little one grows and somehow, so do you. I think as moms, we can carry the weight of the entire world on our shoulders. We keep going because someone needs us. We make sure everyone else is okay, even when we aren’t. And sometimes we get so used to being the strong one that we forget we’re allowed to say “This is hard.”

So if nobody has told you lately: you’re allowed to struggle. You’re allowed to be tired. You’re allowed to not love every moment of motherhood. And you don't have to prove that you’re coping just because you’re still showing up.

You are not failing because you’re exhausted. You are not a bad mom because you need a break. And you don't have to do motherhood perfectly to be exactly what your little one needs.
One day, you’ll look back and realize that the version of you who was surviving those really difficult days was stronger than she ever gave herself credit for. So take it one day at a time, mama. And on the days when one day feels like too much, take it one hour at a time. It won’t always feel this hard.

You are doing better than you think you are. And even if you feel like you’re doing this without a village, please remember that you were never meant to carry everything alone.

With love,
A fellow mom