Working mom,

I know your day, oh so well.

From the wee hours in the morning to those late evening hours.

In the morning, the alarm goes off, you roll out of bed, your feet hit the floor, and you’re off to another day. But, first, a cup of coffee is a must (at least for me), so you turn on the coffeemaker. The kitchen is dark and quiet, just like you left it the night before. If you are lucky, you have a few minutes to actually sit and enjoy the coffee, as you read a devotional or something to your likening.

Usually, before you get to the last sip of the coffee, you are reminded of something that needs to get done before you wake everyone up. 

The load of clothes that needs to be switched, the dinner that needs to be placed in the slow cooker, or the lunch that needs to be warmed and placed in the thermos. And sometimes, it is all three of these.

With a second cup of coffee in your hands, you make your rounds waking the children, and yes, the sleeping husband.

As you are getting yourself ready, you are reminding everyone of what they need to get done.

“Are you dressed?”

“Did you put your shoes on?”

“Is your book bag ready?”

“Don’t forget to walk the dog.”

“Did you brush your teeth?”

It is the morning song, that plays out of your mouth, over and over again.

And throughout all of this, you are trying to maintain patience. You want everyone to start their day off, the right way. You head out the door with bags in tow, children lagging slowly behind you, it is time to switch roles, from morning drill sergeant, to the chauffeur.

You use your lunch breaks to pay bills, make phone calls, and schedule appointments- check- ups, dentist visits, and teacher conferences.

After work you make your rounds like a taxi driver, all before coming home. On a good day a meal is waiting for you in the slow cooker. If not, you quickly fix up a meal, or you settle for the best nutritious meal you can pick-up.

After dinner you make it a priority to spend time with the children before bedtime.

And once the lights are out for them, your on the clock again- washing dishes, preparing lunches, laying out the school clothes, and prepping for tomorrow’s dinner.

And then finally you can turn in.

Working mom, I know I missed a few things. I know some of you have babies and you spend your lunch break pumping. I know the sleepless nights, with sick children and still having to wake up and go to work.

I also know that some of us are fortunate to have an amazing husband (like I do) and older children to assist in making things flow better.  But, I know that everyone’s well-being, the up-keeping of the house, and the family calendar are your responsibility.

I also know that you have very little time for yourself. You aren’t familiar with the new TV shows everyone’s raving about.

Shoot! You are still watching “How I Met Your Mother” on Netflix.

There are times you feel unappreciated. You give and give of yourself, and you wonder if anyone notices.

There are days you feel judged by others, for being a working mom.

There are some church people that blatantly, yet wrongly claim that a mom’s only place is staying at, and tending to the home, often using a couple of scriptures to support their claim.

But, they fail to mention the Proverbs 31 woman, Deborah the military commander, or Lydia- a business woman who sold purple cloth. (Below you will find a link to a website that touches on this matter.)

It is necessary to point out that as a working mom, we are not to prioritize our job before our families. The bible does call us to manage our homes, and to be busy at home. (Timothy 5:14 and Titus 2:4-5)

I don’t know why you are a working mom. It maybe by choice or necessity. I just want you to know, that I get you.

I know you have good days when everything is flowing beautifully, but then there are those days that the tears of frustration and exhaustion come flowing. Please don’t ignore that warning signal.

It is time to hit the pause button.

A wise, good friend of mine told me, “Before you can give oxygen to your family, you must first give it to yourself. That is why on the plane, they tell you to place the oxygen mask on you first before assisting someone else.”

It is okay to take time for yourself.

So, please have that coffee date with a friend, treat yourself to a pedicure or massage, go on a date with your husband, take a walk in the park, or take that nap your body so desperately needs.

At the end of my day, when the house is dark and quiet, I am usually sitting in my reading corner drinking tea, as I read or write.

I reflect on my day, and I feel extremely thankful. There is a sense of peace and fulfillment, because I know I am living the life I am supposed to live.

Sometimes before I turn off my night light, I visit my children’s bedroom. I watch them sleep, and I think to myself, how did I get so blessed?

http://www.kimberlychastain.com/articles/biblesay.htm