In Honor of Mother's Day

...and all of us struggling through the young marrieds with kids stage. My friend Melissa suggested another video by the same woman who did "Wrinkled Ladies," Anita Renfroe. I laughed and laughed at "Wrinkled Ladies" and was totally ready for more.

Go watch this and then come back here to read my thoughts.

What I wasn't ready for was the tears that came because this one hit a bit too close to home.

On the other hand, it brought up again something that's really been weighing heavily on my mind lately. I don't want to have a pity party, (here comes the "but")

but it's just been pretty dang hard to do this kid-raising thing with a husband who often works long hours, must sometimes work nights, often must take his free time and leave home again to study or work on a presentation etc. and no relatives to take the kids for just an hour even. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. In fact, most of the people I currently keep the company of are in the exact same situation and often have less husband time than I do. I was just talking with one of my friends yesterday about the fact that we might have felt totally different about the number of kids we choose to have or the amount of enjoyment we would or would not feel about raising them in different circumstances. I can't even imagine what my stress level would be like if Chuck got home at 4 every day, had no work to do outside of work and if we both got to sleep though the night and if the mom or mother-in-law could take the kids (or even one of the kids) for just an hour or two every now and then. Every one has trade offs, I know. I also know that there are moms in much worse situations than I. I know some women don't even have a husband. I know some people's kids are sick or worse behaved or, or, or... I also know that this sacrifice now is to have a pretty sweet situation in just a few years.

I KNOW. I'm just letting it out, ok? This is the real me. I'm not going to pretend that I don't ever get into a funk about this stuff. I'll get it all back in perspective in a couple hours and buck up and get back to what really matters. Don't worry.