Meaningful

When everyone is out and about without regard for the day, the time, or how busy the setting is, we often stay behind because it’s easier. Young children on hips, wading through a sea of toys and washing.

When everyone else has an occasion to wear their new outfits they were gifted at Christmas to, we are often still at home or wearing a variety of food stains and spit up on the same old clothes as last year.

When everyone else is celebrating their year over loud music, talking about their new year resolutions and laughing over that one extra drink, we are often sitting in a dark nursery covered in a fussy baby who just won’t go down tonight.

We stay back.

Or come home early.

We hold the fought.

And meet the needs of our babies.

It’s hard sometimes.

There’s an element of resentment with a side of missing out.

But early motherhood means sacrifice.

And we all make these sacrifices every day,

If not in this way, in our way.

And for many, like me, we stay home.

Because even when we feel like “going too”, we love why we get to “stay back”

- those little people we get on loan for a while

And we know what we don’t want to miss out on most

- those moments with those little people we can’t get returned.

This is the sacrifice many of us make,

And staying home has never felt more meaningful.