Dear Sweet Mother: You Are Not Alone

Dear sweet mother, I see you. I see the moments when you retreat to the bathroom to hide your tears from your children. I see the exhaustion etched into your face as you rise once again to soothe a restless baby back to sleep. I see the self-doubt in your eyes as you struggle with clothes that no longer fit quite right. And I see the silent battles you face, from thinning hair to nights spent awake, wondering how you'll make it through another day.

But amidst the struggles and the chaos, I want you to know that you are not alone. I share these same battles, these same moments of doubt and exhaustion. We may feel like we're losing ourselves at times, giving up our bodies, our sleep, our sanity. But we are also the ones our children turn to for comfort, for love, for the warmth of our embrace.

We may throw our hair up to hide our thinning spots, but we also receive the most precious slobbery kisses and heart-melting smiles. We are mothers, yes, but we are also human. We have good days and bad days, moments of triumph and moments of defeat. And that's okay.

So I want you to ask yourself two simple questions:

1. Are the kids fed and alive?

2. Are you taking care of yourself?

If you can answer yes to either of these questions, then you have already accomplished something great. Your house doesn't have to be spotless, and you don't have to look like a Pinterest mom. It's perfectly normal to not have everything together all the time.

And if you find yourself answering no, that's okay too. It's okay to ask for help. Too often, society tells us that we have to do it all on our own, but that simply isn't true. Reach out, lean on your support system, and know that there are people who want to help.

So let's work together to normalize motherhood, lift each other, and embrace the beautiful messiness of life without the filter of social media. You are doing an incredible job, sweet mother, and you are not alone. Together, we can navigate the ups and downs of motherhood with love, support, and understanding.