Dear Mom, How’d You Do It?

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How'd You Do It

Dear Mom, 

Mother to mother, I have to ask. How’d you do it? How did you raise me and my older sisters to be the woman that we are today? How did you juggle being a mother, wife, and work a full-time job? How did you find time to make sure we each had your undivided attention? How did you find time to play with us despite how tired you were after work? 

How did you find time to do the things that you enjoy, have a hobby, or see friends? How’d you do it? 

How did you teach us to be so well behaved whenever we were at a restaurant or running errands? How did you teach us manners, respect, sharing is caring, right from wrong, and all that other important stuff moms tend to judge each other about? How’d you do it? 

How did you know what we needed without us being able to say so? How did you handle temper tantrums, terrible two’s, and oh the joys of the teenage years? How’d you keep your cool? 

How did you get us to eat dinner without complaints? Dinner has become a bit of a struggle with my picky eater. How did you find time to cook or do laundry? How did you remember doctor’s, dental, and school appointments for each of us? How were you able to help us with our math homework? My God, have you seen these new math problems lately? 

How did you and dad find time for date night or intimacy? How did you keep the love alive without neglecting one another? How did you manage to be the woman with multiple hats and easily swap them out when necessary? How’d you do it?

You always seemed to have it all put together. You had it figured out. You were Superwoman. Here I am with ONE toddler, and I’m barely holding on. How’d you do it with three children?

Mom, the truth is that I’m struggling to wear all of those hats. I’m exhausted. I’m worn out. I’ve fed my child Chef-Boy-R-Dee for dinner four times already this week. Date nights come sparingly for me, and I haven’t shaved my legs in months! How’d you do it?

Or was it all the same for you? Were you just as exhausted? Were there several nights that my sisters and I came before dad? Were there things that you often put before yourself? 

If so, you did one heck of a job making it look so easy. How’d you do it?