“How on earth can one person do everything?”
This is a question many mothers ask themselves. Especially after giving birth, when it seems like you're simultaneously expecting to take care of a newborn, get your body back on track, get back to work, and keep the house clean.
According to Today.com, Monica Murphy was completely devastated by the question just one month after welcoming her third child, while recovering from a C-section and caring for her other breastfeeding children. It is said that
Luckily for Murphy, her mother had the perfect advice to ease her troubled mind. And luckily, it was all caught on her family's doorbell camera.
In a now-viral Instagram post, Murphy wrote the following terrifying to-do list:
work
stay present on social media
maintain a clean house
tandem breastfeeding
be with the kids
eat nutritious meals
make time for your husband
keep in touch with friends
make time for yourself
plan activities for kids
Flick decorates for Christmas
This is followed by the burning question, “How on earth can one person manage to do everything by himself?”
Of course, Murphy never expressed any of this stress to his mother, who was visiting. But still her mother knew that something was weighing heavily on her daughter's heart.
So, as she walked out, Murphy's mother left her with these words of wisdom:
“They're not going to remember a clean house; they're going to remember how much you loved them and spent time with them.”
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Murphy told Today.com that she “broke down in tears” after her mother left and was immediately inspired to share the video with other mothers who needed similar encouragement.
In fact, this message touched the emotions of thousands of viewers.
One person commented: “If she said that to me I'd just burst into tears.”
Another added: “I needed to hear this today.”
Some spoke of how sadly they never heard from their own mothers, and who were now raising children again.
“My mom used to nag me about how lazy I was and how I was going to leave the house a mess. So I just rely on kind words from other people's moms to ease my anxiety. I've been doing that all my life. Like. A clean house was more important than happy children,” one person wrote.
Mothers can easily get lost in a never-ending cycle of responsibilities and, frankly, unrealistic societal expectations. But we hope this sweet message helps moms around the world make themselves a little easier and actually enjoy the time they spend with their kids. After all, it's all part of the family.
This article was originally published on 11.15.23
