I Am Mom - And Sometimes, I Need To Do Nothing

Yes, you read that right.

There are days I do absolutely nothing. Not because I’m lazy. Not because I don’t care. But because I’m human. And as a mother — especially a single mother — I’ve had to learn that I deserve rest. That I need stillness. That doing nothing, sometimes, is exactly what my mind, body, and soul are crying out for.

But I’ll be honest: giving myself that permission isn’t always easy.

There are weeks when the mental load feels unbearable—school projects, tennis practices, choir concerts. Days where I’m racing from work meetings to grocery runs, where the cat is clawing up the recliner again and the dog thinks it's a game. My kids are bickering, the dishes are stacked high, and my students at work seem utterly uninterested in my wisdom. It’s in those moments—the chaos, the tension, the weariness — when I find myself wishing a tornado might just scoop me up and drop me somewhere quiet. Somewhere far away. Somewhere like Oz.

Because sometimes, it feels like everyone wants something from me. And there’s nothing left to give.

But over the years, I've learned this truth: It’s okay to let go.

It’s okay if the laundry isn’t folded. It's okay if dinner is cereal and toast. It's okay if the cat waits a little longer for his canned food, even if he’s dramatically convinced he’s starving. It’s okay to be imperfect. In fact, it’s more than okay — it’s human.

Letting go of the pressure to be “on” all the time has actually helped me enjoy motherhood more. It’s helped me reconnect with myself. And it's given me space to breathe. Not every moment has to be productive. Not every task has to be done now.

Sometimes, the most healing thing I can do is nothing at all.

When I feel scattered, when the exhaustion fogs my brain and the tears sit just behind my eyes, I remind myself: the world will keep turning even if I pause. The mess will wait. The work will be there tomorrow. My worth isn’t tied to how much I do, but who I am.

So, if you’re reading this and feeling stretched too thin, hear me when I say: it’s okay to rest. You don’t have to earn it. You don’t need to justify it. You deserve peace because you are you—not because you’ve checked everything off your to-do list.

You are Mom. You are woman. You are human. And doing nothing? That might be the most important thing you do all day.

Do you hear that?

Exactly. Me neither.

That’s the sound of peace. Let it in.

A Tranquil Moment With My Dog