Working Mommy Madness: What I Know for Sure

By Harmony Hobbs:

Oprah does this thing in her magazine called What I Know For Sure. It’s an editorial piece she writes every month and although I feel like I’m still too young to fully embrace the Oprah brand, I really do love her honesty.

She once openly admitted to wearing full-body (including her arms and back) shapewear on national television. FULL BODY SHAPEWEAR?! Who would have guessed such a thing existed? I marvel. She is a woman after my own heart.

Like Oprah, there are some things I know for sure. Take, for example, the fact that marriage and parenthood are, in that order, the two most humbling, arduous, and downright irritating tasks I’ve undertaken. Ironically, these relationships have also enriched and blessed my life more than I could ever explain. This is a plus, because if it wasn’t as awesome as it was downright awful, I would be one miserable bi-yatch.

Can I get an amen?

Let’s be real. It’s HARD to be a mom and a wife. I don’t just mean difficult. I mean, “OMG, I’m-going-to-rip-his-face-off-and-nail-it-to-a-door (meaning my husband),” or “I’m-going-to-dye-my-hair-red-and-run-away-to-Mexico” kind of impossible. There are rough patches. Bad days. There are moments when I don’t like my spouse or my child. Does admitting these things make me a terrible person? I don’t think so.

Thankfully, those moments don’t last for long before they subside, but it can be a struggle to get through them with everyone in one piece. When it’s over, the hugs are administered and apologies made … we begin again.

What I know for sure is that life can be overwhelming and some days it’s nearly impossible to keep it all in perspective. It’s easy to start feeling like the responsibilities of life are a burden that you are unfairly bearing. You bitch. You complain. You sink into the pit of despair and laundry. You blame your spouse. You’re positive you are tireder than anyone else. Ever.

We all fall prey to a little self pity. But truthfully, I wouldn’t have my life any other way. I’ll take it all, problematic or not. When my son wanders into our bedroom at 6:00 am, he pulls ME out of bed and asks for breakfast. When my husband loses his wallet, he asks ME where it is. When someone in our house needs something – anything – they turn to me. Where is the milk. Can you iron this. Where is my train. What is this. Where is that. Do we have anymore Pop-Tarts. Can I have a cookie. Can I have chips for breakfast. Mommy. Mommy. Mommy.

And that is all before I start my work day, bringing with it a whole new brand of crazy.
Sometimes, yes, it makes me feel like my head is going to explode.

Despite all of that, I know that they turn to me because I am the glue that holds my family together. I work, I mother, I wife, and I am the only person in my household who can do what I do every day, in heels. When I forget how awesome I am, leaving my husband in charge for a few hours while I’m out of the house quickly reminds me.

So, yes — I DO know where the train is … I WILL iron that in a minute … and NO, you cannot have chips for breakfast.

This I know for sure: being a woman is not a burden. Don’t fall into a trap and victimize yourself! Womanhood is a blessing, and no one said it was easy. We create life and we make things beautiful. We are the heart of the home whether we work in it, out of it, or both. And yes, we are also a little bit crazy — but most of us make up for it by being pretty to look at.

What do you know for sure?

About Harmony:

Harmony blew into Birmingham after Hurricane Katrina and is a self-proclaimed “never home maker” striving for a balance between her career and family life. Visit her blog Working Mommy Madness to read more!