Mother’s Day can feel like it’s supposed to be soft, slow, and full of gratitude — but the truth is, it doesn’t always land that way.
Lately, I’ve been sitting in a version of motherhood that feels a lot heavier than I expected. Recently, and it’s been hard. Both kids with two different health issues. This kind of hard that doesn’t get wrapped up neatly in a social media post. The kind of hard that leaves you helpless and riddled with guilt. The kind that leaves you exhausted, worried, and quietly holding it all together.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, I realised how much I’ve changed.
Motherhood has a way of reshaping you completely. There are parts of who I used to be that feel distant now — the version of me who had more time, more clarity, more space to just be. Now I’m constantly needed, constantly thinking ahead, constantly carrying things that no one else really sees.
Some days, I feel strong and capable. Other days, I feel lost. And if I’m honest, sometimes I feel a bit alone in it too.
I think a lot of mums sit in that space more than we admit.
We love our kids deeply — fiercely — but we’re also navigating a version of ourselves we don’t fully recognise yet. We’re the default parent, the planner, the emotional anchor… and it doesn’t always leave much room for us as people.
This Mother’s Day, I’m letting go of the idea that I need to feel a certain way about it.
I can be grateful and still overwhelmed.
I can love this life and still miss parts of my old one.
I can show up every day and still feel like I’m figuring it out as I go.
And I’m also reminding myself of something I don’t do enough — I’m allowed to take care of me too.
Not in a big, perfect way. But in small moments. Buying the pretty jewellery. Taking a break without guilt. Drinking my coffee hot. Letting myself rest when I can. Because you can’t keep giving everything when you’re running on empty.
Motherhood has changed me — softened me, stretched me, and at times completely undone me. But it’s also made me more resilient than I ever thought I could be.
So if this Mother’s Day feels a little complicated for you too — if you’re tired, or stretched, or quietly struggling — you’re not alone in that.
Sometimes just showing up, especially when it’s hard, is more than enough.
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