Hey Mama,

I know you haven’t even begun to get everything done you intended to do this week…but that’s ok.

I know your kid didn’t do nearly as well on that math test as they should have, based on how many tears you’ve both shed…but that’s ok.

I know it’s weeks past the day you said you would finally start to eat right and exercise and you feel fatter than ever…but that’s ok.

I know it’s been a while since you’ve shaved your legs or waxed your eyebrows…but that’s ok.

I know your closet looks like a magnitude 9 earthquake hit and you can’t find your other favorite shoe…but that’s ok.

I know that homeschooling is a lot harder and a lot less fun than Pinterest makes it look. And no matter how good you are and how hard you work, you’ll never be Teacher of the Year and your kid will never be Student of the Month…but that’s ok.

I know the days seem long, and the nights longer…but that’s ok.

I know there are days when you think you are not enough, that somebody (even ANYBODY) would be better at this than you…but that’s NOT ok.

As stay-at-home moms we deal with extreme opinions from society. We are loved, loathed, labeled, pitied, envied, but most of all, we are utterly and completely misunderstood. They say things like: “oh, I could never do that, I just don’t have the patience” But we hear: “either you’re Mary Poppins or you’re all over there watching TV all day”. But we just smile and nod because we are weary of explaining ourselves and we don’t want to admit that most days we don’t really have the patience either. We are tired, we feel unappreciated, we crave adult conversation and an excuse to dress up every once in a while, and more than anything…we are scared to death that “THEY” are right and we’re screwing our children up forever. The cliches and Pinterest quotes that say things like: “Enjoy Every Moment” and “Each Day of our Lives We Make Deposits in the Memory Banks of our Children” leave us WRACKED with guilt. EVERY moment?!?!?!? They’re going to remember EVERYTHING?!?!?!?

It’s bullshit, y’all.

It’s hard most days…but that’s ok. We’re raising men and women who will never know what it means to conform, whose self-worth will never be wrapped up in some other kid’s opinion of them, and who GET to spend time everyday with the people who love them and believe in them most. Their days are centered around family and their schedules are dictated by the season, opportunity, and spontaneity. Yes, children thrive with boundaries…but they suffer in confinement. Keep your head up, Mama. You’ve got this. On your worst day, you’re still the best thing that ever happened to that man and those babies, and don’t you forget it. You’re beautiful, you’re fearless and you’re fiercely loved. Maybe you needed to be reminded…and that’s ok.