To The Cashier Who Said I Had It All Together, You’re Wrong.

We often have a misconception about what motherhood should look like. The perfect hair and clothes, the well-behaved children, all the laundry done, and dinner on the stove when the husband gets home from work. More often than not, that is far from the truth. But mother Carrie Lyn Fortner wants all moms to know that not having it all together is okay!

She knows more than anyone the difficulties many moms have to overcome in their struggle to provide for their kids, while working to keep themselves healthy. Which is why a chance encounter with a Walmart cashier, inspired her to write the encouraging words below.


Today I was at Walmart doing my weekly Friday shopping when the cashier says to me “I see you in here all the time, your kids are always dressed cute, behaving and you just seem to have it all together” at the time I just thanked her and giggled because that’s far from the truth but as I drove home there was more I wanted her to know about me.

 cierra
Facebook

I want her to know I battle a personality disorder everyday with anxiety and depression mixed and I’m a two time suicide survivor.

I want her to know that I can’t always get myself up off the couch to feed them anything more than frozen pizza and cereal.

I want her to know that my son is late for school 3 out of 4 days because I regularly forget what day and time it is, despite the toddler size calendar in my kitchen.

I want her to know I have those “I’m losing my [crap]” moments when I have to lock myself in the bathroom and cry.

I want her to know I wasn’t always the most active mom because I use to work 80 hours a week and go to school full time and Jayce spent many days and nights with his grandparents.

I want her to know that I hadn’t washed my hair in 3 days and my kids hadn’t had a bath in 2.

I want her to know that I was trying to hurry out of there because I had forgot the diaper bag at home and Brenton was hungry.

I want her to know that once we got to the parking lot the “well behaved” child decided to stand up in the cart and I wasn’t paying attention and barely caught him as he almost hit the concrete.

But most importantly I want her to know I don’t have it together and may never have it all together. I don’t know a mother out there that has it all together but everything we do is done with love for our children and that right there makes you the perfect mom and in our children’s eyes we most definitely have it all together.

From one exhausted mom to another, you’re doing great, have that melt down, let your kids eat the crap out of that cereal and take care of yourself always.

fortners
Facebook

Share her powerful words of encouragement today.

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