This weekend was my weekend off. If you can even call it that.
Their dad agreed he would take the girls every other weekend — Saturday morning until Sunday evening. And honestly, a break is a break, so I’ll take it! But let’s not pretend it’s spa days and sleeping in. No. My “break” looks like laundry mountains, reorganising chaos, and scrubbing floors while half-watching the clock tick down until they’re back.
But last night — something shifted.
Right in the middle of the usual madness, I did something completely out of character. I stopped. I poured myself a glass of wine. Just one. But one became two, and before I knew it, I’d reached the bottom of the bottle. And there I sat. No sound. No responsibilities. No questions to answer. Just me and the quiet.
I cried.
Not the kind of cry where you wipe your eyes and keep scrubbing. No — I sat in it. The weight of the week — the long days of stretching pennies, the sting of disappointment, the silent prayers for good news — it all poured out of me like that last drop of wine.
And as odd as it sounds, it felt good.
I’m not promoting drinking your feelings away — far from it. But in that moment, it wasn’t about the wine. It was about the pause. The stillness. The sacred silence that allowed me to feel something other than stress or responsibility. Something that belonged to me.
Navigating homelessness, unemployment, and motherhood is an emotional marathon. And I know if I don’t give myself space to breathe — to feel — I’ll burn out completely. I used to feel guilty for these moments. For not using my child-free nights to be “productive.” But now? I see them as survival.
So no, I didn’t finish all the laundry. I didn’t batch cook or deep clean the kitchen. What I did do was make room for me. And somehow, that helped more than any to-do list ever could.
✨ Reflection
We don’t always get the luxury of long breaks or holidays. Sometimes, the best we can do is a deep breath, a quiet room, and a reminder that we’re human too. Giving yourself permission to pause isn’t lazy — it’s necessary. Especially when life feels like it’s been on fire for months.
🌸 Affirmation
I deserve rest. Even if it’s messy, even if it’s just one night. I am allowed to pause without guilt.
The Comforting Mum 
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