Today, in the midst of this glamourous awards season, I would like to accept the award for perseverance in the face of much adversity. As mothers we are constantly bombarded with challenges to overcome, hoops to jump through, and an array of emotions to sort through. And yet, we return to our calling with renewed vigor day after day, never abandoning our attempts to plumb the innermost emotions of these creatures we call our children. Perseverance is defined as “the quality of continuing with something even though it is difficult.” Several months into the pandemic, I decided it would be a great idea to liven the house up with some plants. What better way to inspire than to fill the house with life and color?! I came home with some small plants in pots, as well as one of those seed starter trays, the very large ones- the 24-pack. Upon wandering the house, I realized there was nowhere to put these plants, and they found themselves plopped right down on the floor in our dining room. Wh
I reach over to quiet the alarm, double checking the time because surely it’s not time to get up yet. Begrudgingly, I roll out of bed and make my way to the bathroom where I splash water on my face in an attempt to wake myself up. I’ve never been a morning person, but with four kids at three different schools with three different start times, I’m required to be a morning person these days. The rest of the house wakes moments after I do, each kid making their way downstairs, and soon the kitchen is buzzing with activity. We scrounge for breakfast options, pack lunches, double check that assignments were finished, and one by one I get the kids out the door and off to school. By the time I return home from delivering them each to the front steps of their respective schools, the house is quiet and in a state of complete disarray due to the frenzy of early morning activity. I busy myself with the task of returning some sort of order to the house and turn the radio up to drown out the silenc