I Was Told There'd Be a Village: Transforming Motherhood through the Power of Connection

by Melissa Wirt

A pregnant mom was at her wit’s end because she had fought with her husband over whether he could watch her toddler while she showered. He refused because he “helped out enough already.” He told her that she knew what she signed up for when she became a stay-at-home mom, so she shouldn’t complain about doing all of the housework and cooking, let alone ask for a little time to herself. She felt angry and defeated. When I hear a story like that, I am full of mom rage. I want to run to the top of the nearest mountain and shout, “It’s all too much!” Is it any wonder we moms are perpetually on the brink of a breakdown? We cannot be the kind of mothers—or people—we want to be if we don’t take care of ourselves. We need to let go of the idea that we serve our families best by serving our families exclusively.