You know that perfect mother and wife that always has her house clean, dinner ready or cooking when her husband comes home, works out, is perfectly made up, and when not doing the things mentioned, she's spending quality time with her children working on crafts, or teaching them "Für Elise" on the piano? The mother that never snaps at her kids out of frustration, yet quietly reprimands them--have they need reprimanding? The wife that never haves a headache and when her husband offers his unsolicited advice too many times, instead of giving him a piece of her mind, she just keeps quiet and seethes under her breath?
I don't know her either, because she doesn't exist.
That doesn't mean I don't try to be that mother and wife. God blessed me with an awesome ability to juggle many things at once and my parents instilled the hardworking values I've clung onto all these years, but I get tired too.
As I write this, I hear nothing but the rain drops hitting the window and the sound of washing machine running upstairs because despite being "so tired", I couldn't help myself and not throw a load of clothes in the washer. "Now wait just a minute, where are the children?" You must wonder. They are at my in law's house. I dropped them off about two hours ago because I really needed to step away. I'm really bad about getting some "me" time. I just hate to be a burden and I know three kids is a lot. I hated even asking while I was there and instead of the truth, I muttered something about needing to run some errands and taking care of some things at the house, when in fact I just wanted to get away and cry. As I left their house I called my mother but she was too busy to talk, so I drove on and then it stormed all the way home. Once I reached the driveway, I had to get off the car in the down pour to remove a huge branch that fell in my way.
Really world? I mean c'mon! In retrospect I can look back and laugh but I was so not in the mood at that time. Today I'm tired. I've been staying up late tending to the kids and then working on the business and Mariam is still very high needs, and there's always a mess to clean up or somebody that needs tending to, and I felt like I had reached the point where I had nothing left to give. As a mother a feeling like that is only temporary I believe. The ability to give is an endless supply. I just need to recharge. It's babyville from sun up to sun down and I need a break. Which is why tomorrow I'm also stepping away from them and going on a date with my husband. I'm almost never away from the girls and that's not good for anybody. I need to stop feeling guilty, whether it's toward the kids, or H because he works full time and I know he gets tired so I don't want to ask. To be able to take care of everyone else, I need to take care of me too.
If you are a regular reader than you know this blog is mainly filled with happy snippets of my life and it is a happy life, but I am also an open and honest person and whether we admit it or not, there is always going to be a storm that occasionally rains on our parade. I hesitated to post this, but I needed to get this out. Whether it's for validation that it's ok to feel like this, or a "hey you're doing a good job", I don't know, but I needed to vent to someone/something that can't talk back and just listen.
I was just talking to a friend an started summarizing my day with two boys (2 yrs and 3 months) a husband and a full time job. Then I said, "I love it, but wonder how long I can keep this up?" I have never considered leaving the kids with a sitter to be alone, but you're so right that in order to be able to give so much of ourselves to them, we have to take a little time to fuel up the tank! Good for you. I'm glad you got some time to yourself and hope it helped recharge your battery!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI love this honest post. Thank you!
ReplyDelete