A Tribute To The Women Who Made This Year Happen
Hey moms, remember 3 years ago in February when our biggest worry was whether or not we could stay on top of homework, or get time off for a family vacation or secure a summer day camp spot for our kids?
Remember when we didn’t have to make huge, life altering decisions every day for months on end in order to keep our family and those we care about safe? Remember when we thought 2020 was going to a great year?
Yea, I do too.
We moms have faced it all in the last 9 months. This year stripped us down, chewed us up and then took a second bite for good measure. The list of demands on us grew exponentially overnight and just kept going, one seemingly impossible thing after another.
And you know what we did? We stepped the hell up.
We managed remote learning, kept bored kids occupied, created a new reality for our families, all while continuing to work from home or expanding our SAHM duties or re-adjust because of a job loss. We arranged Zoom playdates for our kids, we became teachers, counselors and sometimes, wardens. We found new ways to do it all because we’re moms.
And while we kept all the plates spinning in an almost inexplicable way, we faced our own fears, anxieties and truths. We broke down again and again and then got back up. The collective volume of tears shed this year could fill Olympic sized pools. The amount of texts sent stating simply “I can’t do this anymore” could fill book after book.
And what did we do then? We stepped the hell up.
We sought therapy and/or medication. Spoke honestly about the way we were feeling and found community in the collective support. We demanded time, respect and appreciation, recognizing just how much we’ve taken on, sometimes with no outside support.
And for some of us, we learned hard truths. We have partners who don’t show up for us. Employers who value the bottom line over our mental, physical and emotional health. We don’t value ourselves, our contributions or our needs at all.
What this year has made glaringly apparent is that moms continue to be the unsung heroes of our society. We are the ones who carry the mental/emotional load, we keep the wheels turning so those around us can move through their days largely uninterrupted and unscathed. We are the most powerful CEOs in the world and we’re doing it all with no salary, no vacation time and a 24/7 work week.
So today, as you trouble shoot another Zoom issue, make your 7,000 box of mac and cheese and find a new and interesting way to spend another socially distanced day, know that I see you and every single thing you’ve done over the last 9 months that has kept you and your family afloat. I don’t care if it was a prescription, twice weekly calls with a therapist, crying sessions on the bathroom floor, wine nights in the backs of circled up SUVs with friends. You showed up, told this year to “f**k off” and carried on bruised, battered but not broken.
Thank you to the moms, caregivers, single parents, stand in parents who decided NOT to let 2020 get the last word. Put those earrings back on, stand tall and take your place.