An Open Letter to All the Tired Moms and Dads This Holiday Season

To the tired moms and dads everywhere,

This is your invitation to hit pause, and take a moment to breathe.

I came home this past Friday with a long holiday to-do list I was going to start tackling that evening... Well, I sat down on a lounge chair after dinner and fell asleep at 7pm! I literally ran out of steam.

I don't have to ask how you're doing to know you're tired. I'm tired. Heck, the whole world is tired. This year, to put it nicely, was a doozy. For the last 12 (or so) months, we've jumped over hurdles. We've obediently adapted to our ever-changing circumstances. And one of the hardest parts, or maybe I should say, one of the most exhausting parts, was parenting. 

Helping our kiddos who look up to us cope without their friends, school, or routine when we hadn't figured it out for ourselves? That was tough. Really tough. Not to mention keeping our cool after playing every role known to man for our kids every day. (There's a reason I'm not an elementary school teacher, right?) And for many of us, doing all of that while keeping up with work.

But here's what I'm choosing to focus on today. As much as this year challenged us and maybe almost broke us, it stretched us. And I don't know about you, but a solid stretch for me usually leads to increased flexibility and strength. Anything that causes me to grow is something I'm grateful for. 

So, as tired as we may feel (far beyond the magical effects of coffee), I believe this year brought us back to the basics:

Family. I relearned the importance of family—in ways I never would have appreciated before now. Without friends as a ready distraction for our kids (or us), our little families became our people (our only people). We learned to step into different roles and rely on each other for everything. We became playmates and teachers. And learned how to get creative when it came to entertainment (hello, game nights!). As exhausting as it was (I mean, it was really exhausting), there's never been a more unique opportunity to regroup and bond as a family.  

Community. Our local communities came together! We all bent over backward to show our support and encourage one another. And I don't know about you, but I don't think there will ever be a day I take my circle of people for granted. You guys are the real deal.

Ourselves. This year provided lots of time to reflect on ourselves, to evaluate our priorities, to exercise patience, learn what it means to be content, and oh yeah, remember to sprinkle a healthy amount of grace on top every now and then. Hopefully it's given you goals to work toward or pointed you in the direction of positive changes you need to make. I know it has for me!

All that to say, as we head into this new year, I invite you to join me in focusing energy on the positive. We can gather all the things 2020 taught us (both the good and the bad) and turn it into fuel for our days ahead, further connecting with our families, our communities, and ourselves. I know that's what we'll be doing here at WILCO SUPPLY.

Until then, I think we could all use the gift of a good night's sleep if we can manage it!