If I’m being honest, nothing could have fully prepared me for motherhood. Not the books, not the baby showers, not the well-meaning advice from other moms. From the outside looking in, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect—love, diapers, sleepless nights. But I couldn’t have imagined the depth of it all. The way motherhood would stretch me, challenge me, and sometimes bring me to tears. Both the overwhelmed kind and the joyful kind, all within the same day.

Motherhood, for me, has been the hardest job I’ve ever had, but also the one I’ve loved the most.

I remember one morning when my toddler had been up all night and I’d barely gotten any sleep. I was running on fumes, trying to pull breakfast together while my oldest was having one of her usual loud, animated conversations about everything going on at school. I could feel my patience slipping by the minute. I hadn’t had time to make my own breakfast, and I was starving, getting hangrier by the second. I remember thinking, This is a lot. Like, a whole lot.

But then I looked over and saw my girls cracking up over their messy breakfast leftovers, and in that moment, something shifted. All the stress and noise faded for a second, and I just felt this deep, steady love that reminded me, yeah, this is hard, but it’s so worth it.

That’s what motherhood has become for me: a wild mix of exhaustion and gratitude, of chaos and clarity, of frustration and joy.

The Learning Curve No One Talks About

There’s this unspoken pressure in motherhood to “just know” how to do everything. To be calm, patient, and nurturing at all times. To figure out feeding schedules, manage the household, and somehow also show up for yourself in the middle of it all.

But if I’m being real, I didn’t always feel naturally equipped for this job. I’ve second-guessed myself more times than I can count. Wondering if I’m doing enough, being enough, or if my kids will remember the good parts and not just the times I completely lost it.

There have been moments when I felt like a total failure. Like the time when my oldest daughter was little and I accidentally dropped her while taking her out of the bath. Or the time I let my toddler play in the living room while I rested in the next room for a few minutes after an already long day and she jumped off the sofa and broke her arm. Talk about mom guilt, whew!

But then there are moments that catch me off guard. The ones that remind me I’m actually doing okay. Like when my oldest daughter randomly thanks me for something I would’ve done anyway, with no expectation of praise. Or when I notice them showing kindness and empathy in ways I didn’t even realize I was modeling.

That’s when I remember: motherhood is a constant learning curve. We’re not meant to have it all figured out. We’re meant to grow as we go.

The Little Things That Matter Most

It’s funny how the moments that stick with me aren’t the picture-perfect ones. They’re the messy, in-between moments that don’t make it to Instagram. Like bedtime stories and snuggles after a long day. Like hearing “Mommy, I need you” and knowing you’re their safe place.

It’s in those little things—brushing hair, packing lunches, wiping tears, listening to endless stories about dance or playground drama—that we build connection. That’s where the magic happens.

Motherhood doesn’t always come with big milestones or standing ovations. But it comes with meaning. With presence. With love that shows up, even when you’re tired, even when you’re not sure how much you have left to give.

Still Worth It, Every Time

There are hard days. Really hard days. Days when I daydream about a solo weekend in a quiet hotel room with no one calling my name. Days when I question if I’m doing anything right.

But there is not a single version of my life where I would choose anything other than being their mom.

It’s the hardest job I’ve ever loved, and I mean that with my whole heart. Not because it’s glamorous, or easy, or always fulfilling in the moment, but because it’s real. It’s shaping two little humans and letting them shape me right back.

To the Moms Who Feel the Same

If you’re in the thick of it right now, feeling stretched thin and unsure if you’re doing a good job, I want you to know that you’re not alone.

You don’t have to have it all together. You don’t have to enjoy every moment. You just have to keep showing up…and you are.

So take a breath. Give yourself grace. Remember that it’s okay to love this role deeply while also admitting that it’s hard. That doesn’t make you a bad mom. It makes you a real one.