Momma, You Are More Than Ordinary…You Are Significant

My husband’s been working crazy hours lately. He’s often out the door before the kids wake up in the morning and doesn’t get home until after they’re in bed. And then there are other nights he’s out of town altogether. I’m so proud of him and thankful for how hard he works to support our family. However, I’m also pretty exhausted by the time the end of each day comes around.

It’s during the long days when those mundane tasks that I do over and over again start to wear on me. I find my mind thinking stuff like,

“Why does dinner have to happen EVERY night?”

“The dishwasher needs to be emptied AGAIN?”

“Do I REALLY need to sweep the kitchen floor tonight? There aren’t that many crumbs.”

“She POOPED again? I thought she was done for the day!”

“For the love…could she PLEASE just share her toys?”

“Dang it, it’s BATH NIGHT. Add one more thing to the list.”

“Potty? You JUST went potty. No more stalling. It’s time to go to bed.”

When my body’s tired, it is so easy to let my mind feel defeated. I start to wonder if any of this stuff matters, if I’m really fulfilling my purpose on earth by wiping boogers and cleaning butts all day long.

Here’s the thing. If wiping boogers is just wiping boogers, and cleaning butts is just cleaning butts, then that totally sucks. What a WASTE! It simply CANNOT and DOES NOT mean only that.

SO. I’m here today to remind the tired version of myself and you, of this:

What you do momma, day in and day out has significance. The cooking, the cleaning, the wiping, the holding, the teaching, the reading, the redirecting, the loving. It ALL matters.

The countless times you get up in the night with your baby? It matters.

The extra hug you give your preschooler before bed? It matters.

Waiting for your toddler to put on his own shoes even though you’re in a rush? It matters.

Taking your kids to the park when it’d be easier to stay home? It matters.

Asking them for the zillionth time to eat their veggies? It matters.

Pre-treating the stains on their little clothes? It matters.

Standing your ground when it’d be easier to just let them have their way? It matters.

Watching your house get overtaken by colorful plastic crap every single day? It matters.

Replenishing the toilet paper? Yes, even that matters. 

It all matters because it’s YOU doing it. There’s no one else who can do it quite like you. You were given your children for a reason, because YOU are the best possible mom for them in the world. Every little thing you do for them is special because it’s done with your love behind it. Yes, even when you’re slightly annoyed, completely exhausted, and absolutely ready for bedtime, you still have so much to offer. Even when you’re at your wit’s end, YOU are significant.

So momma, to you who puts your heart and soul into every day. To you who’s exhausted more often than not, please know that you are indeed fulfilling your purpose. You are changing the world one act of love at a time.

XOXO,

Amber

P.S. For more reflections on parenthood and life, follow us on Facebook (Hun Let’s Run) and on Instagram: @ambermariekuiper and @jakekuiper! We’d also love for you to subscribe to our Hun, Let’s Run Podcast! For more info about joining our fitness community as a customer or coach, please email us at amber@mommysmetime.com!