One of the hardest parts of the “stay-at-home” mom job is that there are no sick days.  If I wake up with a killer migraine headache, as I did this morning, I cannot just call up my 5 children, tell them that mommy is feeling sick today so she won’t be in, and crawl back into bed like I wanted to do.

Instead, I had to drag myself out of bed, put on sun glasses to try and shade the light from my eyes (for any of you who have ever suffered from a migraine, you will understand the light sensitivity component to the headache), and carry about my morning as if nothing were wrong.  Natalie needed to be changed, fed, and thoroughly entertained.  We are attempting to sell our house, so along with the phone call from the realtor asking to show the house, came the instant panic over getting the house “show worthy”.  Needless to say, I had more than my share of cleaning to do this morning.  I also had to bake two dozen cookies for a function being held at my children’s school this evening.

 And again, all I really wanted to do was stay in my PJ’s and bury my head under the blankets until the immense stabbing pain in my brain and acute nausea subsided….no such luck!

So, I did what all super-mom’s do…I took care of business!  No calling in….no breaks…no sick day.  I took care of the baby.  I cleaned the house. I did roughly 18 loads of laundry.  I organized the kids’ closets, rotated their summer clothes up front, and pushed the winter gear to the back.   And I bought some of the freshest cookies I could score at the local bakery…took them out of the box and placed them in a container I brought with me from home…and brought them to school without an ounce a guilt over not slaving away personally on the baked goods.  

 I know that we all have days like I did today, and I realized that mother’s pull off days like this all the time without anyone thinking twice about it.  Well today ladies, I am thinking twice.

 I am commending each and everyone one of you who have spent the entire night up with a sick child only to turn around, splash some water on your face, and carry on for another day.

 I want to recognize all of the moms out there that work 40 plus hours a week and still find a way to keep up with the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and juggling act that we all struggle with.

 Today I want to acknowledge all the women that suffer through migraine headaches, or severe back pain, or asthma, or arthritis…and much, much worse….with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts.

 We are strong.  We are amazing creatures.  God truly graced us with gifts and talents like no man I know.  So even if nobody else notices how hard you work or what you sacrifice for your family, find comfort in knowing that you are not alone.  There is truly a sisterhood of mothers amongst you.  

And find strength in knowing that even when no one else notices…God is always there with open arms to give you the “atta girl” that you so warmly deserve!