To the Nurses Working Harder Than Ever, Thank You

Our Keepsake Journal is Here! 🎉

A love letter to nurses during the pandemic:

Thank you.

There will never be adequate words in enough languages to properly convey the depth of gratitude the world owes you right now. So, all I can say—all WE can say—is thank you. From the bottom of my heart, a million times: thank you.

RELATED: So God Made a Nurse

I know you are exhausted and overwhelmed. You are working extra shifts and longer hours because there simply are not enough nurses available to care for the alarming number of patients being admitted to the hospital. Your days are long and stressful, and you feel like you are drowning.

I know this is not what you signed up for when you became a healthcare professional. You do not complain or begrudge the new duties that have arisen because of COVID-19, but I see how frustrated and tired you are. At times, you feel broken and helpless.

I know sometimes you feel like you are failing at work and at home. I wish I could convince you the exact opposite is true: you are a hero, literally saving lives. At home, you are a rock star mom who is doing the best she can under unprecedented circumstances, and your little ones see this and appreciate you and love you.

RELATED: I’m a New Mom and a Frontline Essential Worker and it’s All Heavy

I know you are scared. You do not want to contract this terrible virus, and you constantly worry you might expose your loved ones. For all the protective equipment you wear, and the safety protocols you follow, you undertake a huge risk every time you go to work.

I know your job is not glamorous. You routinely get other people’s bodily fluids on you. Patients call you names and treat you badly sometimes. And still, you care for them and treat them with respect and dignity. You put their health and wellness above all else, perhaps including your own.

But I implore you to know: your sacrifice does not go unnoticed. The world sees you, and we recognize the countless struggles and challenges you are currently facing. We need you right now, more than ever.

RELATED: The Lab is Full of Unsung Heroes Working Harder Than Ever Before

I hope you know you are an amazing example of compassion and bravery for your children, and that is a remarkable gift you are providing to them. I believe it is a lesson that will last a lifetime.

To all the nurses and healthcare workers who courageously stand on the frontlines of this battle and fight against COVID-19: thank you and God bless you.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now

So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Her View Shop

Leslie Froelich

Leslie Froelich is a freelance writer and co-founder and facilitator of a postpartum depression support group in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, run through the organization POEM (Perinatal Outreach and Encouragement for Moms). Her work has appeared on Her View From Home, Scary Mommy, The Huffington Post, American Greetings, Postpartum Progress, Motherly, Hot Moms Club, and The Purrington Post. Leslie has two earthly daughters (Elizabeth and Maggie), a daughter in Heaven (Hannah), as well as a large, fluffy cat named Garran. She has been married to her spouse, Nick, since 2007.

Friendship Looks Different Now That Our Kids Are Older

In: Friendship, Living, Motherhood

Two women and their teen daughters, color photo

When my kids were young and still in diapers, my friends and I used to meet up at Chick-fil-A for play dates. Our main goal was to maintain our sanity while our kids played in the play area. We’d discuss life, marriage, challenges, sleep deprivation, mom guilt, and potty-training woes. We frequently scheduled outings to prevent ourselves from going insane while staying at home. We’d take a stroll around the mall together, pushing our bulky strollers and carrying diaper bags. Our first stop was always the coffee shop where we’d order a latte (extra espresso shot) and set it in...

Keep Reading

I Loved You to the End

In: Grief, Living

As your time on this earth came close to the end, I pondered if I had given you the best life. I pondered if more treatment would be beneficial or harmful. I pondered if you knew how much you were loved and cherished As the day to say goodbye grew closer, I thought about all the good times we had. I remembered how much you loved to travel. I remembered how many times you were there for me in my times of darkness. You would just lay right next to me on the days I could not get out of...

Keep Reading

The Only Fights I Regret Are the Ones We Never Had

In: Living, Marriage

You packed up your things and left last night. There are details to work out and lawyers to call, but the first step in a new journey has started. I feel equal parts sad, angry, scared, and relieved. There’s nothing left to fix. There’s no reconciliation to pursue. And I’m left thinking about the fights we never had. I came down the stairs today and adjusted the thermostat to a comfortable temperature for me. It’s a fight I didn’t consider worth having before even though I was the one living in the home 24 hours a day while you were...

Keep Reading

I Hate What the Drugs Have Done but I Love You

In: Grief, Living

Black and white image of woman sitting on floor looking away with arms covering her face

Sister, we haven’t talked in a while. We both know the reason why. Yet again, you had a choice between your family and drugs, and you chose the latter. I want you to know I still don’t hate you. What I do hate is the drugs you always seem to go back to once things get too hard for you. RELATED: Love the Addict So Hard it Hurts Speaking of hard, I won’t sugarcoat the fact that being around you when you’re actively using is so hard. Your anger, your manipulation, and your deceit are too much for me (or anyone around you) to...

Keep Reading

Give Me Friends for Real Life

In: Friendship, Living

Two friends standing at ocean's edge with arms around each other

Give me friends who see the good. Friends who enter my home and feel the warmth and love while overlooking the mess and clutter. Give me friends who pick up the phone or call back. The friends who make time to invest in our relationship. Give me friends who are real. The friends who share the good, the beautiful, the hard, the messy, and are honest about it all. Give me friends who speak the truth. The friends who say the hard things with love. RELATED: Life is Too Short for Fake Cheese and Fake Friends Give me friends who show up. The friends who...

Keep Reading

I Asked the Questions and Mother Had the Answers. Now What?

In: Grief, Living, Loss

Older woman smiling at wedding table, black-and-white photo

No one is really ever prepared for loss. Moreover, there is no tutorial on all that comes with it. Whether you’ve lost an earring, a job, a relationship, your mind, or a relative, there is one common truth to loss. Whatever you may have lost . . . is gone. While I was pregnant with my oldest son, my mother would rub my belly with her trembling hands and answer all my questions. She had all the answers, and I listened to every single one of them. This deviated from the norm in our relationship. My mother was a stern...

Keep Reading

A Friend Gone Too Soon Leaves a Hole in Your Heart

In: Friendship, Grief, Loss

The last living memory I have of my best friend before she died was centered around a Scrabble board. One letter at a time, we searched for those seven letters that would bring us victory. Placing our last words to each other, tallying up points we didn’t know the meaning of at the time. Sharing laughter we didn’t know we’d never share again. Back in those days, we didn’t have Instagram or Facebook or Snapchat or whatever other things teenagers sneak onto their phones to capture the moments. So the memory is a bit hazy. Not because it was way...

Keep Reading

Here’s to the Saturday Mornings

In: Living, Motherhood

Baby in bouncer next to mama with coffee cup, color photo

Here’s to the Saturday mornings—the part of the week that kind of marks the seasons of our lives. I’ve had so many types of Saturdays, each just a glimpse of what life holds at the time. There were Saturdays spent sleeping in and putting off chores after a long week of school. And some Saturdays waking up on the floor in a friend’s living room after talking and prank calling all night. I’ve spent many Saturday mornings walking through superstitious pre-game routines on the way to the gym, eating just enough breakfast to fuel me for the game, but not...

Keep Reading

From a Veteran Special Needs Mom: Don’t Lose Hope

In: Living, Motherhood, Teen

When my son was newly diagnosed with autism, I was reading everything—the good, the bad, and the ugly. So much so that to this day, I can barely handle reading anything on the subject because I overdosed so badly on it. I went through a grieving process as all families do. Grieving my expectations, hopes, and dreams. It was during this time that all hell broke loose. My child, like a lot of other people who experience autism, has a lot of other psychological and medical issues that interact with his autism. The combination of all those things led to...

Keep Reading

You Don’t Need a Pinterest-Perfect Classroom to be a Great Teacher

In: Living

If you’re a new teacher, you will undoubtedly feel a lot of pressure. You will feel a lot of pressure to learn your content and the ins and outs of your school quickly. You will feel a lot of pressure to form quick relationships with your students and find the best ways to teach them, regardless of the fact that you’re still learning with them. You will simply feel a lot of pressure to be the absolute best teacher that you can be. One thing you might not expect to feel pressure for, but you undoubtedly will, is the pressure of having the Pinterest-perfect classroom....

Keep Reading

A Baby Fresh From Heaven is a Glimpse of God

Baby

A Baby Fresh From Heaven is a Glimpse of God

You Would Have Been Such a Good Big Brother

Child

To the Nurses Working Harder Than Ever, Thank You

A love letter to nurses during the pandemic:

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Her View Shop

Friendship Looks Different Now That Our Kids Are Older

I Loved You to the End

The Only Fights I Regret Are the Ones We Never Had

I Hate What the Drugs Have Done but I Love You

Give Me Friends for Real Life

I Asked the Questions and Mother Had the Answers. Now What?

A Friend Gone Too Soon Leaves a Hole in Your Heart

Here’s to the Saturday Mornings

From a Veteran Special Needs Mom: Don’t Lose Hope

You Don’t Need a Pinterest-Perfect Classroom to be a Great Teacher

Previous Post

Next Post

You May Also Like