24/05/2026
My maternity leave has officially ended, and truthfully, my heart is heavy.
I thought I was ready for this. This isn’t my first child, and I’ve walked this road before. But this goodbye feels different. Not because I love my second baby more, but because this time, I finally understand what I almost overlooked the first time.
Motherhood isn’t something to simply survive until life goes back to normal.
This is the real life.
These months at home changed me in ways I never expected.
The sleepless nights, endless feedings, contact naps, toddler calls, and the exhaustion that settled deep into my bones — there were moments I longed for rest, moments I counted down until bedtime.
And now, I find myself wishing for just a little more time.
Because somewhere in the middle of caring for my children, God quietly opened my eyes to what truly matters.
These early years are fleeting. They will never be this little again. One day the cuddles will lessen, the tiny hands will let go, and the ordinary moments I live today will become memories I ache to revisit.
I know going back to work is part of providing for my family. I know countless mothers carry this same burden with courage every single day. But understanding that doesn’t make the ache disappear.
Because now I know this deeply:
My children don’t need a perfect mother.
They simply need me.
My presence.
My voice.
My hugs.
My time.
My love.
And that’s the hardest part of all.
The world says a few months should be enough — enough to heal, enough to bond, enough to recover, enough to be ready.
But a mother’s heart often says otherwise.
How do you leave the place where you’re needed most… and act like it doesn’t break you a little inside?
