Dear Mama,

I know that motherhood isn’t exactly what you pictured. Even your wildest dreams couldn’t prepare you for how intense everything is. Your love for your child, the exhaustion from trying to do everything, their strong will to be their own person, and the frustration that comes from spending all of your time caring for others.  It’s ok to need a break from it.  

Of course, you knew it would be hard. We all know that raising tiny humans to be fully capable, independent adults is not a walk in the park. But sometimes, the little things can get to us. And get to us. And get to us. They can compound, magnify, and then explode out of our mouths, with verbal shrapnel hitting anyone in the immediate area. We feel like we can’t possibly deal with one. more. minute.

And you know what? That’s OK. 

It’s ok to need a break. 

It’s normal to get overwhelmed with the responsibility of being a mother, a wife, and a human. It’s common to feel like you’re a bad mom.  We spread ourselves so thin, taking care of everybody else but us. But I’m here to tell you mama, you need to take care of you, too. You are just as important as those babies that you spend every waking minute (and most sleeping ones too) worrying about. You are just as important as that man who spends his days working so hard to provide for his family. Your family is amazing, and they deserve the best version of you.

Well guess what? The best version of you will only be created if you take breaks.  Love on yourself a bit. Take a bubble bath, read a book, get a massage, take a nap, or go to Target and walk through every aisle with a coffee in your hand. Do it alone. Think about your dreams, your goals, and what you want to do for you. You’re still your own person, deep down under someone’s wife, someone’s mother, and someone’s friend. You’re you, and you need to maintain that individuality in order to be fulfilled. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s an empty feeling when you lose who you are.

You can’t pour from an empty cup, Mama. If you don’t care for yourself, then you can’t care for your family. It’s ok to need a break. It doesn’t mean you don’t love your kids enough when you need time away from them. It means you love them so much that you recognize that just a little space will make you better. More patient. More loving. Less frustrated. And a better example for your precious kids.

It’s ok to need a break, mama.  Go take one… I’m taking one too.