Dear You, the One Who Feels Like It’s All Too Much,

You’re not the only one.

Even if it looks like every other family has it together—chances are, they’ve had their share of car-ride meltdowns, parking lot tears, regretful shouting, and silent car trips home too.

You are not failing because things get messy.

You are not broken because joy feels hard to reach.

You are not less than because your reality doesn’t match the highlight reel.

You are a mother carrying the invisible weight of everyone’s emotions, logistics, and expectations—and somewhere in the chaos, you’ve forgotten that your needs matter too.

Please hear this:

You are not alone.

And you’re not the only one whispering “I just want what they seem to have.”

But what you really need isn’t their version of “together.”

It’s permission to be human. To feel it all. To rest. To not have to perform happiness when everything feels like too much.

You are doing your best in a system that doesn’t always see how much you give. And still, you keep showing up. That’s not weakness. That’s love in its rawest form.

So here’s your permission slip:

You don’t need to get it perfect.

You don’t need to hold it all.

You don’t need to pretend it’s fine.

You just need a breath.

A pause.

A moment to feel seen.

And I see you.

With tenderness,

Someone Who’s Been There Too