Oh Nell. How I understand & empathise. Mine are grown women now but too often, when I was younger, I prioritised a clean & tidy house over time with them. I still am very ‘Martha’! The one who organises & does the practical stuff but I know better now when to down tools & just be with someone. When my granddaughter came along I did differently & every opportunity I had, I spent with her doing the grandmothering & maybe that’s how it works. Grandparents fill the gaps while parents breathe & recharge …. & clean up!
How many times have I spent extra personal time in the bathroom because I just needed a minute without shouting/assisting/someone’s hand down my shirt?
The struggle is real. Balancing the needs of the self with a possibly all-consuming flame of motherhood each moment. And every choice is a trade-off. At the end, you hope you gave love and received some too. And maybe learned one million things.
Thank you for sharing, so undefended, it’s refreshing.
I’m in the pantry-chocolate-eating stage. And I really needed to read this today. Thank you for the food for thought. (And yes, I just finished a bowl of Belgian chocolate ice cream because the kids are in bed).
Oh Nell. How I understand & empathise. Mine are grown women now but too often, when I was younger, I prioritised a clean & tidy house over time with them. I still am very ‘Martha’! The one who organises & does the practical stuff but I know better now when to down tools & just be with someone. When my granddaughter came along I did differently & every opportunity I had, I spent with her doing the grandmothering & maybe that’s how it works. Grandparents fill the gaps while parents breathe & recharge …. & clean up!
How many times have I spent extra personal time in the bathroom because I just needed a minute without shouting/assisting/someone’s hand down my shirt?
The struggle is real. Balancing the needs of the self with a possibly all-consuming flame of motherhood each moment. And every choice is a trade-off. At the end, you hope you gave love and received some too. And maybe learned one million things.
Thank you for sharing, so undefended, it’s refreshing.
Aaahhh, yes, and we have it to do again in the slowness of littles while embracing the swiftness of teens. 💕
I’m in the pantry-chocolate-eating stage. And I really needed to read this today. Thank you for the food for thought. (And yes, I just finished a bowl of Belgian chocolate ice cream because the kids are in bed).
This is so wonderful. You're putting into words what I've been feeling. This also makes we want to start writing again. Thank you!
Thank you for putting this into words.