I used to think anything “extra” was just more work. put makeup on? why bother? tablecloth on the dinner table? just to scrub pasta sauce? wearing “real” clothes to stay home all day? why do the extra laundry? (since Lord knows they’re not staying clean) a minute to drink my coffee while it’s hot? that’s funny !!! but something I’m learning about mothering: the extra 10% that feels indulgent or “too much” is oftentimes the thing that makes the other 90% feel life-giving... It’s like we keep trying to push a stroller with a flat tire. And someone says, “Hey, you can pump the tire,” and we say, “no, I couldn’t possibly do that, I’m too busy & that’s one more thing.” — pumping the tire doesn’t ADD to the work. it quite literally makes the work possible. & it’s the same with the “special” moments that bring us joy (which will be different for every mom!!) not for the sake of perfection or the sake of aesthetics. literally just JOY for the sake of JOY. for filling your cup, rather than labeling yourself as “another thing on the to do list” because my kids are watching everything & the last thing I want to teach them about mothering is that it means pouring from an empty cup 🫶🏼