Good Afternoon Mamas!
How y'all doing on this Friday Afternoon?! "How am I do doing" (Thank you for asking, lol). Mama, I am tired!!! I don't know why this week has been draining, but baby, I am a different type of tired today!!! As I'm sitting here drafting this blog post, I'm thinking, look at me getting it done a day early, but I just realized it's Friday!!! (insert crying emoji). Mamas, sometimes we are just dog tired. To be honest, I am all over the place this week. I was at work Wednesday with my boss, and it took everything for me not to fall asleep during our lunch break like I wanted to cry; that's how tired I was! Luckily for me, I have a dope-ass boss who is always understanding (Shout out to Ms. Jennings, if you are reading this, LOL). But now that I've finished venting, let's get into the real point of this post!
Mamas, are y'all okay? And I don't mean just okay, I mean are you MENTALLY and SPIRITUALLY okay? I can't stress this enough; it's okay not to be okay but don't stay silent about it!!!How many of you have a friend or family member you can talk to when things start to get overwhelming? I don't mean a person to have a casual conversation with; I mean an individual you can truly confide in and trust your conversation won't be the topic of their next conversation? I'm only going to say this once you need that outlet! What's the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." As a mother, you will have days when you question your parenting, feel burnt out, overly tired, crying uncontrollably, or honestly just want to run away! We've all been there! I think I tell my husband at least once a month I'm running away... okay, okay, I lied; I say it at least once a week, lol. But let me tell you what gets me through my week being able to vent and not to a significant other because ladies sometimes they just don't get it!
I have a couple of friends in my corner, and they are AMAZING and are always so supportive even when I threaten to lock my kids outside for mock fire drills! I think it was yesterday I made a post on FB stating that "I'm fin to risk it all and put my kids outside with an umbrella and a bottle of water" (I needed some GOT DAMN PEACE, WOOSAH). I had to laugh a little because I say some wild shit; it's a wonder that they still deal with me! But the one person I go to is my sister. She sees the RAW emotion the stressed-out mom, the mama that is cussing up a storm because her child ate her REESE (If you know me you know I don't play about my Reese, lol) the overwhelmed mom, the mom that feels like giving up, or the mom complaining because she needs more help in the house; my sister sees it all! And let me tell you, I am a handful! If I didn't have her to vent to or get advice, I would be a HOT MESS. Mama, I encourage you to have at least one person in your life you can confide in; motherhood is challenging and can wear on you mentally; you cannot do this by yourself.
As moms, we have to be willing to be a little more vulnerable to our emotions. I know we fear judgment from other parents, especially moms but mama, your mental is so much more important! Don't bottle it in because you are only hurting yourself and, in the long run, your child/children. And if you are the outlet for someone, please take the time to listen and do so without judgment. Whether you want to admit it or not, at some point during your journey, you may have had that same emotion but didn't have a friend or family member to confide in, so go on and offer a listening ear. Let's support each other because, baby, we all need help! And to the moms that are feeling overwhelmed now, don't be afraid to ask for help; I promise it will get better! Raising a child is hard; there is no manual for it, we out here winging it, mama, and if you're reading this, I want you to know you are killing it!
I challenge you today to check on a friend and when you ask them if they are okay, let them know you mean it! Many people ask and will receive a generic answer because the individual doesn't believe you really want to know. Let me know in the comments if you checked on a friend today. As always peace and blessings!
XOXO,
Devon