**Originally published April 12, 2011**
Yesterday was Monday. Tomorrow is Wednesday. But today is Tuesday. A day to get up, get going, and get things done.
Right after I have some coffee.
A day that all three kids are home – no preschool – and the laundry needs to have a dent made in it, the floors need to be attended to to retain their natural ugliness, and the bathrooms need some TLC.
Right after I have some more coffee.
A day when I need to come up with a plan to counter act the amazingly devastating financial news we received last night and deal with the personally traumatic bit of news received this morning.
Hold on… gotta have a sip.
I need to help my girls finish planting the garden, clean their rooms, color with them, play with them, feed them, and tend to them with no signs of the stresses of the adult world shining through. Because they are kids and need to stay kids as long as possible.
Whoops- need more coffee.
I need to pray. Hard. Harder. No – harder than that. Yea – that hard.
Ahhh -that coffee is good.
And I need to get it all together, do it with style, with a smile on my lips instead of yells in my lungs, fiercely protecting their day from the negative. Because they are too young to know the truth. They need childhood to last longer.
And I need to do all of this on less than 3 hours of sleep, for the 12th day in a row {yes, I have been counting}, with no energy and tears lodged in my throat and fear screaming from my headache.
Oh sweet wonderful coffee… thank you for providing the imaginary toothpicks for my eyelids.
It may be a hard day, it may be a scary day, it may be a day that I want to run screaming through the neighborhood at the top of my lungs just to get it all out.
But it is also a day in my children’s lives. And for them, I have to try to put everything else aside, focus on being a mommy and try to remember that all that matters is that today is Tuesday.
Oh sweet love of coffee nectar, I love you.
Now let’s get this day started!
I don’t know what’s going on for you and your family…but I’m sorry. And you sound like, outwardly anyway, you are dealing with it with grace. but I know that inside…well, that’s different now isn’t it. My situation/circumstances are different but you expressed my feeling exactly. I don’t have time to breakdown…I have 4 little boys depending on me. You voiced a “mother’s duty” excellently! Happy Tuesday!
Happy Tuesday to you too Crystal! And yes – our motherly duty trumps personal stress as a job description. I am just so lucky to have such amazing people to show support and love to me! Thank you!
Oh, I feel for you. It sounds like you’ve got a hard day ahead… but thank you for the reminder that, no matter how hard it is for us, it is one day of our childrens’ lives, and memories will be made.
Also, I think I want another cup of coffee after all that :-)
Hang in there!
Sarah
Aww -thank you Sarah! I am glad that message came across! Thank you for reading.
Psst: get me another cup while you are up! ;D
Oh I know how you are feeling, only problem I have is no matter what kind of smile I put on my face my 15 yr old daughter can see the stress, the tears welling up in my eyes, the sobs I am trying to desperately to hold back. I hate that she sees the stress, because I’m sure she feels it.
Yes I would think it would be harder to keep it from a 15 year old. This mothering thing is tough sometimes! ((HUGS))
I don’t know what is troubling your heart today, but I will say a prayer for you and your family. You are a wonderful Mama to think of your children’s happiness this way! I hope things get better for you and that your coffee cup is bottomless :)
Thank you Rachel. We’ll get through it. I just have to remember that what I wear on my face they might wear forever in their hearts! ;)