Wednesdays: they can be the hardest days for you. It's five o'clock. You are relieved the work day is over, now you can breathe...sorta. You drive home thinking about how much you'd like to just sit down for a minute or two and do something for you: read, write, take a power-nap. But you cant. You have another job to get to. One that is never over at the end of the day.
You are a working mom.
You pull in the drive way and give yourself the pep-talk. You have to mentally prepare yourself to begin your next job. When you walk in that front door, co-workers will be needing help, clients will be calling you constantly needing your services, and because you are the boss, it feels like the world is on your shoulders.
As soon as you walk in, your first client is already waiting for you.
Your four year old runs into your arms. He hasn't seen you all day and is very excited to show you his art work he did at the sitter's house. You smile a great big smile, give him a kiss and "ohh" and "ahh" over his drawing of what looks like a boy riding a lion in the clouds. You cant help but giggle at his imagination.
You then proceed to the kitchen where your husband is feeding your six month old (who had been crying since he was picked up from the sitter's) a bottle. You take over, hoping mom's touch will do the trick. It does. As soon as your baby boy drifts to sleep in your arms, your four year old yells across the house "DAD!" He needed help hanging up his new picture of the lion. The baby wakes up screaming.
With only an hour until church, you remember you hadn't shopped for the groceries that week-you meant to on Saturday but soccer practice got in the way. Dinner at home was a no-go on this busy Wednesday evening. You and your husband pile your screaming baby and your four year old in the car and head to Chick-fil-A.
After the struggle of beating the Wednesday night crowd, fighting with your oldest that there is no time to play on the jungle gym tonight and darting stares from young couples without kids, you make it to church 2 minutes late. Before making the dreaded walk to the front of the church because all the back seats are taken, you mentally prepare yourself to change your attitude about church tonight. You always leave services feeling refreshed and new but it's hard to picture that after the day you've had while you are doing everything you can to drag you and your family into the building.
I say this to the working mom. You are doing a fantastic job.
I know you are tired. I know there are days you wish you could quit one of your jobs. I know there are days you walk in those front doors without a smile. It's okay.
I know you feel like you aren't giving both jobs the attention they deserve. But you are. I see you loving on your kids at church after that hard day at work. I see you smile sincerely at your husband who you haven't seen all day. I see you plan fun trips to the park or zoo or pool on the weekends. You are doing enough. You are enough. You are everything. To that screaming baby you get up with in the middle of the night. To that four year old who hears you "ooh" and "ahh" over his drawing. To your husband who you call in the middle of the day because you need a pick-me-up and still kiss when you come home.
So keep smiling, keep giving the pep-talks, keep "ooh"-ing and "ahh"-ing, keep going to church. Keep being the amazing wife and mother that you are.
You are a working mom.
You pull in the drive way and give yourself the pep-talk. You have to mentally prepare yourself to begin your next job. When you walk in that front door, co-workers will be needing help, clients will be calling you constantly needing your services, and because you are the boss, it feels like the world is on your shoulders.
As soon as you walk in, your first client is already waiting for you.
Your four year old runs into your arms. He hasn't seen you all day and is very excited to show you his art work he did at the sitter's house. You smile a great big smile, give him a kiss and "ohh" and "ahh" over his drawing of what looks like a boy riding a lion in the clouds. You cant help but giggle at his imagination.
You then proceed to the kitchen where your husband is feeding your six month old (who had been crying since he was picked up from the sitter's) a bottle. You take over, hoping mom's touch will do the trick. It does. As soon as your baby boy drifts to sleep in your arms, your four year old yells across the house "DAD!" He needed help hanging up his new picture of the lion. The baby wakes up screaming.
With only an hour until church, you remember you hadn't shopped for the groceries that week-you meant to on Saturday but soccer practice got in the way. Dinner at home was a no-go on this busy Wednesday evening. You and your husband pile your screaming baby and your four year old in the car and head to Chick-fil-A.
After the struggle of beating the Wednesday night crowd, fighting with your oldest that there is no time to play on the jungle gym tonight and darting stares from young couples without kids, you make it to church 2 minutes late. Before making the dreaded walk to the front of the church because all the back seats are taken, you mentally prepare yourself to change your attitude about church tonight. You always leave services feeling refreshed and new but it's hard to picture that after the day you've had while you are doing everything you can to drag you and your family into the building.
I say this to the working mom. You are doing a fantastic job.
I know you are tired. I know there are days you wish you could quit one of your jobs. I know there are days you walk in those front doors without a smile. It's okay.
I know you feel like you aren't giving both jobs the attention they deserve. But you are. I see you loving on your kids at church after that hard day at work. I see you smile sincerely at your husband who you haven't seen all day. I see you plan fun trips to the park or zoo or pool on the weekends. You are doing enough. You are enough. You are everything. To that screaming baby you get up with in the middle of the night. To that four year old who hears you "ooh" and "ahh" over his drawing. To your husband who you call in the middle of the day because you need a pick-me-up and still kiss when you come home.
So keep smiling, keep giving the pep-talks, keep "ooh"-ing and "ahh"-ing, keep going to church. Keep being the amazing wife and mother that you are.