Dear mama,
I know you’re tired. Beyond tired. You may wonder how you can get through another day, much less the rest of the year. Demands on your time and energy seem to only be increasing. When will the pandemic end? How will you celebrate the holidays? How much longer can we go on like this?
These are things I think about daily. And I don’t know the answers. But what I do know is that one day things will get better. I believe this because almost every difficult life experience I’ve endured has eventually gotten better. Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better, but ultimately we will find a way through. And so we have to hold on until that happens.
Holding on isn’t easy. In fact, it can seem like the most difficult thing in the world sometimes. It feels like you aren’t going anywhere. If you look at your progress or lack thereof, it can be demoralizing.
But sometimes progress isn’t the measure of success; holding on is.
If you made it through another day, that is a victory. I don’t say that flippantly. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts are on the rise. In a time where more and more people aren’t able to hold on anymore, living to fight another day is literally an accomplishment.
You held on today. Give yourself a break on everything else. What you are experiencing is uncharted territory. Of course you are going to struggle. It’s going to take time to learn how to deal with these challenges and muddle through them.
You are not alone in this. So many of us are right there with you. We are in this together, still.
If ever there is a time to reach out for support, mama, it’s now. Support can come from family, friends, and neighbors, or it can come from a counselor or other mental health professional. They will help you hold on. And we will help each other hold on.
You are a pioneer in a strange time. As you push your cart through the mud, with all your attention focused on just getting through, you might want to give up. You may not be able to envision your destination. You may not see the light at the end of the tunnel. But it is there, and you will get there. As your children grow up, they will look back at the struggles and sacrifices that you’ve made during this time of survival, and I think they will be in awe of you.
You’re making history right now, mama.
You are doing that just by existing.
Holding on is more than enough right now.
So I implore you to not let go.
