I went for a walk in the snow the other day and behind me, I pulled a sled.

My children were insistent they could walk, that they didn’t need the sled, but I pulled it anyway.

Initially, they had boundless energy. They chased each other and their laughter was musical. ⁣

And even though they didn’t seem to need it, I still pulled the sled. It felt light and it wasn’t that hard to pull. ⁣

After we walked a bit longer, one of my girls tripped and fell. She climbed in the sled for a minute and I kept pulling. ⁣

But she didn’t need it for long, and she hopped back out.⁣ I was happy I’d brought the sled to help her when she needed a break.

They grew tired. With the fatigue came the emotions and the meltdowns began.

⁣Do you want to climb in the sled? I asked. ⁣

They both did. And I pulled them. ⁣

And sometimes, we went downhill and it felt easy. ⁣

And sometimes, we went up hills and it was heavy and hard and I was sweating and feeling tired.⁣

And when I was sweating and feeling tired, almost resentful about the weight of them, I would stop, pause, and breathe.⁣
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And sometimes, they climbed out, feeling that they didn’t need the sled again, and would walk a little bit more, explore a bit further.⁣

But they always returned to the sled. ⁣

And I always kept pulling it. 

This is what motherhood is. 

We keep pulling the sled of support. Even when they don’t need it, we are there to help them keep going.⁣

And when they do need it, we pull them through. To carry them when they can’t carry themselves, to support them when they’re feeling tired and emotional.⁣

And some days, it feels light and all downhill and pulling them, supporting them feels easy.⁣

And some days, it is all uphill and pulling them is so hard, and so exhausting.⁣

And even when we’re tired from their weight and from our own fatigue, we pull them.⁣

So mama, if your sled feels heavy today, pause and take a breath. You are working hard. This job isn’t easy.⁣

There will be days when they won’t need you to pull them, and it will get easier.⁣

You just have to keep pulling the sled.

Originally published on the author’s Facebook page