To The Mom Who Eats last

"Dear Momma,

Yes, you, the one who is eating last. Whether it's for the first time, or for the 40,000th time. Whether it's because you were too busy making sure your kids got something to eat before you left for their school concert, or because you are too busy nursing a baby while everyone else is eating. I want you to know something very important.

I. See. You.

I see the sacrifices you make.
I see your working hard to make a nice warm and healthy dinner, just to eat it cold hours later.
I see you sitting down to eat, taking 3 bites, only to have to get up to get everyone else seconds.
I see you wishing your kids would just go to bed so you can finally finish your food.
I see the tears you cry because it's been such a long day, and you are hungry and tired.
I see you snap at your kids, when you know they really don't deserve it, and then I see your remorse.
I see you dragging yourself to bed, knowing you only have a few hours of very interrupted sleep ahead of you.
I see you Sweeping the floors for the 4th time today.
I see your mounds of laundry that never seem to get smaller.
I see you sneaking chocolate cake for breakfast because you didn't have time to make a real breakfast because your son has a meltdown over tying his shoes.
I see you pulling your hair out trying to figure out how to get your daughters through their preteen years.
I see you doing your daughters hair hair for school as she sits their crying about it.
I see your frustration that your son is lying... again.
I see you answering the phone call from school, knowing that your son got into a fight again.
I see you picking up toys, just for your toddler to knock over your toy box.
I see you showing up late, again, because your kids fought you every step of the way.
I see you rewarming your coffee for the 3rd time.
I see you spilling that 4 OZ of breast milk you worked so hard to pump.
I see you sacrificing your sleep to get up with your baby, but trying not to wake anyone else so they can sleep.
I see you trying to help your son do homework as he is yelling at you and throwing himself onto the floor.
I see you spending hours with your kids, waiting for the moment that your spouse walks through that door.
I see you answering the nonstop questions from your 3 year old.
I see you having the hard conversation with your kids about what happened to their beloved pet when it died.
I see you scrubbing dishes, knowing you will scrub them again later that day.
I see you grocery shopping, toddler and infant in tow.
I see you spending twice as long bundling your kids up than you actually spend outside in the snow.
I see you learning soccer lingo, so you can be the most supportive mom.
I see you practicing that dance routine with your daughter over, and over, and over.
I see you listening to baby shark for the 30th time today, because its the only thing keeping your toddler happy.
I see you doing everything you have to do while carrying your fussy baby because they won't let you set them down.
I see your parenting from the couch for the 4th day in a row.
I see you wishing your chocolate supply wasn't gone.
I see you budgeting over and over again, hoping that somehow you can make the money stretch.
I see you waking up every 30 minutes with your croupy child, just to make sure they are still breathing and that their fever hasn't spiked again.
I see you researching your child's disabilities for hours, just so you can be the best advocate they could ask for.
I see this, and I think it's beautiful.

I know you are tired. I know you can't see the end in sight and you wonder if you are going to make it. I know you are losing who you are. It's hard, it's messy, and it's stressful. There are days that never seem to end, and there are days that didn't have enough hours in them. But in the end, you have such a beautiful and important job. And Momma, I see you giving your all for that.

So Momma, it's ok to eat last, just remember that you also need to eat.

Sincerely,

Another Momma who is eating last"