aha weekend

By: Ashley

I had a pretty fabulous long weekend. A good friend from grad school came to visit and it was so refreshing to have another woman in the house (yay estrogen!) and to catch up and giggle and eat icecream. She was a big help with the little man and she helped me to realize that I really do need a break sometimes. Confession: I'm exhausted. I've tried to just "suck it up" and be superwoman - do it all and with a smile on my face and every hair in place. But I'm just not sure it's possible, at least not with my mental and physical health intact. So I need to learn to ask for and actually accept help. We don't have family that lives close by to help with our son, but we do have several friends who have offered and are willing to give us a break...when we ask.

Sharing a laugh

I once had a conversation with another mom who basically told me to "not complain" and that exhaustion just comes with the territory. I have a big problem with that and I think it's a major fault of society, actually. Women are often made to feel like its our job to do it all and we don't have a right to feel tired or scared or overwhelmed...which leads to keeping feelings bottled inside; depression and resentment. Yes, being a mom of a 2 year-old and also working full-time is a lot of work and I chose this route for my life but I still have a right to feel exhausted every now and then. Having the courage to admit that I need a break sometimes won't make me any less of a mom...in fact, it'll probably make me a better one.

What do you do to take a break when you need it?