Here’s to Mamas of the World

Happy International Women’s Day! Let me first say I am proud to be a woman and thrilled God chose womanhood for me. I like things that smell good. I like pretty pictures. I love my husband. I love my children. I am honored to be a mama. I am thankful He chose me to be a woman.

So on this International Women’s Day, I want to celebrate the mamas of the world. I believe mamas should be credited with much of the good in the world. Where on earth would we be without the mamas God has put in our lives? Whether it’s a biological mama, an adoptive mama, a step-mama, a grand-mama, an aunt-mama, a mentor-mama … Women whether they have given birth or not are all mamas in one way or another.

Here’s what these current 24 hours look like for me. Let’s see if you can relate?

• 4 a.m.: 5-year-old wakes up for whatever reason and just would not go back to sleep
• 4 a.m.-6 a.m.: Perhaps I sleep off and on in the living room while the preschooler watches Paw Patrol
• 6 a.m.: Hop in the shower and get ready for the day
• 7 a.m.: Greeted by a grumpy teenager upon waking him up
• 8 a.m.: Breakfast and school prep for the kiddos
• 8:45 a.m.: Get the kiddos to two different school
• 9 a.m.: Start my other job—my j-o-b
• 10:30 a.m.: Head to therapy to work through life—if you aren’t in therapy you should be. We all need it.
• Noon: Head back to my j-o-b
• 3 p.m.: Run to the convenient store to pick up dinner because it’s grocery shopping day and I just can’t
• 3:30 p.m.: Pick up the high schooler
• 4 p.m.: Pick up the preschooler
• 4:15 p.m.: Try to salvage something out of the work day
• 5 p.m.: Start dinner
• 5:30 p.m.: Eat dinner
• 6:15 p.m.: Start the wrestling match—I mean bath and bed for the preschooler
• 7:30 p.m.: Clean up from dinner
• 8 p.m.: Sit down on the couch and feel guilty about not knocking out more emails so I pull out my laptop
• 9:30 p.m.: Head to the Friday night chosen teen hangout spot to pick up the teenager
• 10:30 p.m.: Hello, pillow
• Around 2 a.m.: The preschooler wakes up, comes to my room and stares at me until I wake up.
• 4 a.m.: Do it all again

Mamas, raise your hand if you’re exhausted! I’m tired. So tired. I’ve been tired for years and I’m not sure it’s going away anytime soon.

My own mother raised three girls all while working and going to college at the same time. I am in absolute awe of how she managed to get through it without having an artery burst.

On Mother’s Day 2018 Salary.com said that mothers were worth a salary of $162,581. Absolutely and then some. They calculated this by taking a hybrid of roles and comparing salaries. Below are just a few of the roles Salary.com used in this hybrid:

• Accountant
• Buyer
• CEO
• Coach
• Dietician
• Event Planner
• Facilities Director
• Logistics Analyst
• Network Administrator
• Photographer
• Staff Nurse
• Work/Life Program Manager

Whew. Just whew. I was tired just reading the list. Here’s to you, mamas! You keep your houses running and are raising our future leaders. I thought it would be encouraging for all of us to read a few things a few successful people have said about their mothers. Enjoy these quotes, mama friends.

For her to say go, go make something of your life, go, go do something — that was an extremely brave thing for her to do… Those are the sacrifices, you know, that I think you do for your children, and she always did that. She always put me first.

Charlize Theron

To listen to people and to treat them well. That’s something she does with every person she meets. My mum’s had cancer three times, and she’s always remained charmingly free of cynicism, very open to life, and wonderfully gentle while at the same time strong. Strength does not have to be belligerent and loud.

Russell Brand

We’re best friends — she’s a very special woman. She’s been so supportive. She’s partly the reason why I have so much respect for women. I’m never going to find someone as good as my mother, am I?

Justin Timberlake

My mother taught me empathy — the basic concept of standing in somebody else’s shoes and looking through their eyes. If I did something messed up, she’d just say, ‘How would that make you feel if somebody did that to you?’ That ends up being, I think, at the center of my politics, and I think that should be the center of all our politics. If we see a child who’s languishing in an inner-city school, how would we feel if that was our child?

President Barack Obama

There are days when I don’t want to get out of bed. I have faith that God is working things out and I believe that one day whatever phase we are going through with our kids will pass but, man oh man, in the day-to-day living of the phases it is hard. Really hard, right?

I often wonder if Barack Obama’s mother struggled like I do with my children at times. Or if Justin Timberlake was a wild preschooler who made his mother cry from exhaustion at night. It’s so nice to know how much some of the most successful people on this planet attribute to their frazzled mamas.

Mamas, on this International Women’s Day, keep your head up. You are raising world changers. Did you hear me? WORLD CHANGERS. So head up, put on your stretchy pants, drink some tea, and read a good book for a few minutes. Because on this International Women’s Day Mama Frazzled salutes you. You are doing it and you are raising the future Justin Timberlakes and Barack Obamas of the world.

To my own mama, thank you. You taught me what it looked like to go after your goals and survive motherhood at the same time. Love you!