Oh that four letter word: time.

It’s a crucial word because time is a crucial thing.

With time all things are possible. Because with time you have the ability to pretty much do whatever possible and whenever possible. But without time, things lack. You lack.

Time is valuable, precious, and important. I have two little babes. I know the importance and the meaning of time. With time I am a better mommy and wife because I carved out time for myself to make me feel important.

Mamas, don’t feel selfish when you take time for yourself. Time is something we all need and evermore so, mamas. Motherhood is an unending job, a job that gets overlooked and looked upon as unimportant. Parenting, and motherhood, in so many ways comes across as an easy task because heck, just put the kiddos in front of a TV show and sit down on the sofa next to them and eat a big bowl of chocolate ice cream (that’s not bad either!).

But seriously, mamas are on call 24/7. There are no breaks, no lunch breaks–not until the children have their lunch first–and shower time must be accompanied by a crying baby and a toddler peaking around the curtain about 10,000 times.

Oh and it’s a job that forces you to stay up at ridiculous, ungodly hours. And did I mention you do all of this for free? Honestly, moms have degrees in financing, culinary, medicine, and teaching. So why do we feel guilty when we take time for ourselves?

I think it’s because our job is unrecognized, viewed as unimportant and so we feel as if we have to measure up to something and/or someone greater than us. It’s like we have to prove we did x, y, and z, and this is why it’s okay I’m taking a five second break. Enough with the judging and explaining. Diapers are changed, teeth are brushed, laundry gets done, dishes are washed, meals are cooked (sometimes prepped), errands are run, floors are swept, kids are kept alive, and at the end of every day, full bellies fall asleep peacefully.

We do enough. In fact, we do more than enough and more than the average. I know it’s easy to feel discouraged at the end of every day because you look at the kitchen or living room and nothing looks in order. Or the laundry is still sitting in the washer, or heaven forbid, you forgot to put the laundry away. But seriously, who are you trying to impress? Impressing is stressful. And it’s impossible to keep it up. Eventually you will experience a burnout from just trying to impress those around you.

Motherhood is a REAL full-time job

‘Nuff said. Should I just write out a few of the many things we do on a day to day basis?

• Laundry
• Dishes
• Mopping
• Cooking
• Keeping children alive
• Teaching
• Finances
• Shopping
• Planning
• …

Craziness and insane, yeah? I mean, who the heck can do so many things in one day?

MOMS.

And it’s so hard to get time because there are a gazillion of BIG and little things that go on every single second of every single day. And don’t forget, you want time alone and you want to do things alone as a mama, and there are certain tasks you want to accomplish. But when the baby demands to nurse again after the umpteenth time and the toddler throws his tenth tantrum in ten minutes, those mama things you wanted to get done suddenly don’t happen.

What’s the BIG deal?

Mama doesn’t get time alone so mama starts to feel frustrated and a frustrated mama is a no fun mama. So what’s the remedy? Stop giving yourself a hard time. For reals. If the load doesn’t get done, tomorrow is there for that. And checklists, todo lists, must-get-done-now lists, throw those out! Believe me, I know how hard it is to get through your whole day and lay in bed and think back on the day and feel like: “what the heck did I get done?” Because after picking up the living room for the thirtieth time in a day and changing over twenty diapers, these are the things that get overlooked. Seriously.

Mamas don’t get recognized. All the hard work, the busy hands, and the crap load of patience kind of gets swept under the rug a whole lot of bit. But listen to me.

You are ministering into your children’s lives every single day. Mama, you are raising the next generation of little gents and ladies. These little people shadow you and your work impacts them greatly. You are not devalued, overlooked, or under appreciated. You matter.

The work you get done in a day is literally influencing little humans and there is nothing more rewarding than that. A mama can’t quit, but a salesperson or manager can because in no time they will be replaced. It’s also unfair because we don’t get badges, certifications, medals, or fancy uniforms to dress up in. But our roles show more than a stupid recognition pin. Our work shows in our families.

Take this final thought and add it to your todo list to remember (because I know you have one of those!):

“your work matters.”