Working Mom. Always Tired. But Loved.

The GB | A Sunday Reflection

It’s Sunday morning.

I’m sitting outside on my patio, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a few pages of Emotion by Design by Greg Hoffman. (lol yes still reading this book)!

The kids are awake. There’s laundry waiting, a house that needs cleaning, homework I need to finish, and probably a dozen other things I’ll remember before noon.

But right now, I’m sitting here.

And I’m happy.

Not because everything in my life is exactly how I envisioned it. Far from it.

I’m happy because, for this moment, I’m allowing myself to enjoy the life that’s happening right in front of me.

The morning air. My coffee. The sounds of my children. The simple comfort of being home.

And I can’t help but wonder how many mornings I’ve experienced without fully appreciating them.

Not because I wasn’t grateful.

But because sometimes we’re so busy managing our lives that we forget to enjoy them.

The Things We Count

I’ve spent a lot of time these past few months reflecting on what I want out of life.

Where I want to be professionally. What I want to accomplish financially. The experiences I want to give my children. My continued evolution as a woman. The things I haven’t figured out yet.

And when you’re ambitious, it’s incredibly easy to measure your life against everything you haven’t accomplished.

You start keeping a mental balance sheet.

Not enough money here. Not enough progress there. A missed opportunity. An unfinished project. Another goal that hasn’t materialized.

Before you know it, you’ve convinced yourself you’re operating at a loss.

But what happens when you look at the other side of that balance sheet?

My children are here. I have a home filled with noise, responsibilities, laughter, and the occasional argument over absolutely nothing.

I have people who love me. An education I’m continuing to pursue. Ideas I’m excited about. Opportunities to create, learn, and experience life.

And this morning, I have a cup of coffee and the freedom to sit outside and enjoy it.

That’s not a bad bottom line.

Maybe I’ve been so focused on analyzing the areas where I’m falling short that I haven’t given enough attention to everything that’s already flourishing.

Because a life isn’t unsuccessful simply because certain parts of it aren’t where we want them to be.

And gratitude doesn’t require us to stop wanting more.

Some Seasons Are Just Heavy

I haven’t written a Sunday blog in months.

My podcast’s second season? Still waiting to be recorded.

I have the ideas. I have the structure. I know what I want to create.

But 2026 has been heavy.

And while I could give you a long explanation about everything that’s happened, the reality is that I haven’t intentionally made the time to bring those projects to life.

That’s mine to own.

I’m learning to give myself grace without turning that grace into an excuse.

Because behind The GB, there’s no production team. No editor. No one scheduling content or making sure the next episode gets uploaded.

There’s me.

The same woman raising three children, working full-time, pursuing her bachelor’s degree, and trying to remember what she walked into the kitchen for.

And while I’m fortunate to have family who supports me, the responsibility of providing for my household rests on my shoulders.

That’s not a complaint.

It’s simply my reality.

Some days, I manage it beautifully.

Other days? I’m just trying to get through the damn day.

And I think more women should feel comfortable admitting that without having to justify themselves.

Because being grateful for your life doesn’t mean you aren’t exhausted by the responsibilities that come with it.

What If We Allowed Ourselves to Suck?

I’ve been thinking about how much pressure we place on ourselves to be good at everything.

Good mothers. Successful professionals. Present partners. Responsible adults. Supportive daughters. And somewhere in between, we’re supposed to find time to pursue our own interests.

We expect ourselves to show up and perform, even when we’re running on empty.

And when something falls behind, we feel as though we’ve failed.

But what if we allowed ourselves to be beginners?

To be inconsistent sometimes?

To create something imperfect?

What if the podcast episode isn’t perfect?

What if the blog doesn’t reach thousands of people?

What if I try something and absolutely suck at it?

Well, then I suck at it.

And I can try again.

I would rather experience the discomfort of learning than spend my life waiting until I feel completely prepared.

That doesn’t mean abandoning my standards. It means recognizing that not everything worthwhile starts out exceptional.

Sometimes you have to be willing to do something poorly before you learn how to do it well.

And sometimes you have to give yourself permission to start again.

Even after months of silence.

Six Words

Yesterday, I submitted a test for one of my college courses.

One of the questions asked us to write a six-word story, inspired by the famous six-word storytelling exercise often associated with Ernest Hemingway.

Just six words to communicate something meaningful.

Mine was:

Working mom. Always tired. But loved.

Six words.

And somehow, they captured more of my life than an entire essay could.

Because there’s so much behind being a working mother that people don’t always see.

The mental load.

The financial responsibility.

The guilt when you’re working. The guilt when you’re not.

The exhaustion that doesn’t necessarily disappear after a good night’s sleep.

The constant calculations of who needs what, where everyone needs to be, what’s due tomorrow, and how you’re going to make it all happen.

Sometimes I wonder whether I’m giving my children enough.

Enough attention. Enough experiences. Enough patience. Enough of myself.

And then there are those ordinary moments that remind me what all of this is really about.

A little hand reaching for mine.

A random hug in the middle of a busy afternoon.

The laughter coming from another room.

One of my children telling me something that seems completely insignificant to the rest of the world but means everything to them.

The privilege of being someone’s safe place, even on the days when you’re desperately searching for a little peace yourself.

I am tired.

Sometimes unbelievably tired.

But I am loved.

And I love the life I’ve built, even while I’m working to improve certain parts of it.

Both things can be true.

I can wish for more financial freedom and still appreciate the home I’ve provided.

I can feel frustrated professionally and still take pride in the work I’ve accomplished.

I can want more experiences for my children while recognizing that some of our most meaningful memories happen in the most ordinary moments.

And I can acknowledge how difficult motherhood can be without wishing away a single part of it.

Because one day, the house won’t be quite so loud.

The laundry might actually stay folded.

And the little voices calling for me from across the house won’t need me in quite the same way.

I know there will be parts of this exhaustion I’ll miss.

Not necessarily the exhaustion itself.

But the life that came with it.

A Room Full of Women

This past Friday, I had the privilege of attending the Power on Heels Women’s Leadership event, where I represented my organization in presenting scholarships.

I walked into a room filled with women from different backgrounds, experiences, and stages of life. Women who were accomplishing incredible things, supporting their communities, and making space for other women to succeed.

And what stayed with me wasn’t simply their professional accomplishments.

It was their humanity.

Kelly Cook, CEO of David’s Bridal, spoke about her experiences navigating 2025 and 2026. She brought humor into her reflections, and I appreciated that because sometimes laughter is how we make sense of seasons that have been anything but easy.

Here was a woman leading a major organization, openly acknowledging that life and leadership come with challenges.

And I thought about how easily we look at someone else’s position, title, or accomplishments and assume they must have everything figured out.

But we’re all navigating something.

Different circumstances. Different responsibilities. Different pressures.

And while our experiences aren’t identical, there’s something comforting about recognizing that none of us is exempt from difficult seasons.

What inspired me even more was seeing women who, despite everything happening in their own lives, were still making time to encourage, recognize, and support others.

They were showing up for their communities.

Not because their lives were free of challenges.

But because contributing to someone else’s life still mattered.

And that stayed with me.

What Are We Giving Back?

I’ve been thinking about what it means to support other women beyond simply saying that I do.

Because encouragement is wonderful, but what does it look like in practice?

Am I making time to participate in my community?

Am I sharing what I’ve learned?

Am I offering another woman a perspective she may not have considered?

Am I willing to mentor someone, make an introduction, or simply listen when someone needs to be heard?

I don’t have to be a CEO to contribute something meaningful.

I don’t have to have every answer.

And I certainly don’t have to wait until every project in my life is completed before I can extend a helping hand.

Sometimes it’s a conversation.

Sometimes it’s sharing an experience that might save someone else a little frustration.

Sometimes it’s encouraging a woman to pursue an opportunity she isn’t sure she’s qualified for.

And sometimes it’s simply being present.

I’ve benefited from people who were willing to share their knowledge, their time, and their perspectives with me.

Not every conversation changed my life, but some gave me the confidence or clarity to make a different decision.

And I want to be intentional about offering that same support to others.

Because what good is everything we learn if we never share any of it?

The more I reflect on my own life, the more I recognize that success cannot be measured solely by what I accumulate or accomplish.

There’s also value in what I contribute.

In the people I encourage.

In the opportunities I help create.

In the example I set for my children.

And in how I make people feel when our paths cross.

We all have competing priorities. Unfinished projects. Responsibilities that demand our attention.

But we can still be generous with what we have to offer.

Even in a difficult season.

Perhaps especially then.

Facing the Music

There’s something else I’ve been reflecting on lately.

We’ve become so uncomfortable with negativity that sometimes we confuse acknowledging reality with complaining.

Don’t be negative. Don’t dwell on things. Focus on the positive.

And I understand the intention behind that advice.

But sometimes things genuinely suck.

Sometimes your circumstances aren’t fair. Sometimes you’ve worked incredibly hard and the results haven’t followed. Sometimes you’re disappointed, frustrated, angry, or simply exhausted.

I don’t believe pretending otherwise makes us stronger.

I believe there’s value in sitting with those feelings long enough to understand them.

Have your pity party.

Cry if you need to. Be frustrated. Write down everything that’s bothering you.

I certainly do.

But eventually, you have to ask yourself:

What part of this can I actually change?

Not what someone else should have done.

Not what should have happened differently.

What can I do with what’s in front of me?

Because acknowledging reality is one thing. Allowing it to determine every decision you make is another.

Sometimes the answer is having an uncomfortable conversation.

Sometimes it’s changing direction.

Sometimes it’s accepting that something you’ve invested so much of yourself into is no longer giving you what you need.

And sometimes it’s simply choosing to stop giving so much energy to circumstances you cannot control.

We don’t always get to choose what happens to us.

But we do have a responsibility to examine how we respond and what we decide to do next.

And maybe part of that responsibility is recognizing that we can be working through our own challenges while still showing up for someone else.

We don’t have to choose between taking care of ourselves and caring about our communities.

There’s room for both.

Back to My Coffee

So here I am.

Still on my patio.

My coffee is probably getting cold. The laundry hasn’t folded itself. My homework is waiting, and I’m sure one of my children will need something any minute now.

Nothing about my circumstances has magically changed since I sat down.

There are still goals I haven’t reached.

Conversations I need to have. Decisions I need to make. Things I want to build.

But none of that takes away from the beauty of this morning.

And after everything I’ve experienced and reflected on these past few months, I’m realizing something.

I don’t want to spend my life so focused on what comes next that I overlook what I have right now.

And I don’t want my ambitions to be measured only by what I accomplish for myself.

I want my children to remember that I was present. That I worked hard. That I laughed, made mistakes, tried again, and found joy in ordinary things.

I want the women I encounter to feel encouraged, respected, and supported.

I want to participate in my community, not simply admire the people who do.

Because eventually, all of us will leave this world.

And while our accomplishments may tell part of our story, I believe the way we treated people and the difference we made in their lives will tell another.

That’s the part I want to be intentional about.

Not someday, when I have more time, more money, or fewer responsibilities.

Now.

In the middle of this beautiful, chaotic, exhausting life.

I still have ambitions. Plenty of them.

I still want to grow, create, explore, and challenge myself.

That’s part of who I am.

But my evolution doesn’t require me to be dissatisfied with my present.

I can be proud of the woman I am, grateful for the life I have, and still want more for myself.

And I can extend a hand to someone else while I’m figuring things out, too.

So today, I’m choosing to enjoy my coffee.

To read a few pages instead of rushing through an entire chapter.

To listen to my children.

To appreciate the life happening around me.

And to remember that the most meaningful things I leave behind may have very little to do with the things I’ve spent so much time trying to achieve.

Working mom. Always tired. But loved.

And hopefully, someone who made others feel a little more loved, too.

With love,

The GB 💚

Impossible is just an opinion.