Moms don’t get sick days!
Your throat is tight, your nose is stuffed up, and as you climb out of bed, your head begins pounding. Oh no, the fates have decided that your time has come, to have everything and everyone test your every nerve ending today because inevitably, you are ill.
Being sick as a mom for me literally means the day is about to suck. I don’t know about the rest of you, but somehow my toddlers hear, “mommy doesn’t feel good” and that means it’s a green light to quite literally destroy the house, make as much noise as humanly possible, and invoke their inner demon spawns to cause as much havoc as their little bodies can muster.
This is where us moms have to pull ourselves up by our bra straps, and literally find the same inner strength we found being nine months pregnant, and attempting to make it to the restaurant without peeing our pants for that luncheon. I honestly don’t know where it comes from, The drive to keep doing the housework, the lessons, the playtime, the meals, the bath times and everything else within the daily routines while feeling like hat next sneeze may be our last.
A mothers ability to put the needs of her young above her own is amazing, you girl are AMAZING for being able to auto pilot so much that your household doesn’t miss a beat. Just try to remember there is a point of no return when ill that could land you in the doctors office or worse, the emergency room if you forget to take care of yourself, and keep pushing your own limits. Admitting you need help is one of the HARDEST things for an independent minded mother to do. Followed closely with letting go of control ( or your own personal OCD issues) over your house to someone so you can get the needed rest your body is demanding for recuperation. I know many moms, and first time moms especially, who will quite literally be half dead walking out of their rooms to remind the temporary caretaker of the household of something not necessarily dire in the moment, but because of her anxiety in letting go, she will do this multiple times, kinda defeating the purpose.
So ladies, if you find yourself sick, and in a situation where Dad, or Nana, or someone else has to assume your duties in the household, try to remember a few things. One, they are there to HELP YOU not BE YOU there is a drastic difference. All the minuscule things you keep telling them you do, how you do it are great, but unlikely that they will be able to execute them exactly like you, or in your way, so let that go. Your anxiety will not help you get better faster. They are not there to fill your shoes, they are there to make sure nothing goes wrong and you can rest. That’s it, quite simple. It is OK the kids are eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with Chips one night for dinner because dad really can’t cook. It won’t hurt them. It’s also OK if your mother in law happens to see your piled up laundry, and does a load. You are sick and have nothing to be embarrassed about right now. Take some NyQuil, rub some Vics on your chest, get some honey tea, and know even in this very moment, where everything is unfamiliar, and you feel at your worst, you are still a fierce, badass momma, who’s beautiful!