Your mama’s work was impossible work. It was constant and neverending. The second she cleaned up, you made another mess. Plus she had her own to deal with.
She had dreams that didn’t involve your laundry, but no one was offering to hold the baby while she tended to them. And she never knew how to ask without sounding ungrateful for the incredible gift of your voice calling her name.
So it’s no wonder her patience wore thin. It’s no wonder she littered her speech with passive or aggressive remarks that left you wanting to spend less and less time with her.
Your grandmother’s work was impossible too. It was also constant and neverending. She also had dreams and messes to contend with and a different set of cultural expectations that kept her cage locked tight. And even if she never once complained, your mama knew that her young bud of life was fertilizing resentment in her mother’s mind.
It’s likely your great-grandmother’s job was also impossible. How far back do we need to go to see a different way? How far forward? As far as it takes until this point no longer needs to be spelled out:
Women can do impossible things, but only when they have incredible support.
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The best Mother’s Day gift is a wisdom crown. Check out BirthStory, a workbook for mamas who want to tell epic stories about how they — and their child — was born. It’s as great as a to-me-from-me gift as it is given to a mama you know.