To all of us who are feeling shamed.

It’s 4:00pm and I’ve finally relented. After hours of online learning, board games, and outdoor play I’ve let the boys play stupid Fortnite so I can breathe for a few minutes before starting making dinner.

As I opened my phone to peruse social media, I saw a few interesting things.

I saw funny memes that make me laugh and smile that I love. Bring on all the Tiger King memes!

But then I saw the shamers and I got heated.

Things like:

If you do not walk out of this situation with a new skill, a side hustle, or more knowledge then you lack discipline because you had the time.

or that there are “No Excuses” not to eat perfectly and exercise for hours.

Warning: This is a divisive post

Motherfuckers, you are clearly single, without children or just plain suck.

I am not here to stroke your ego. I am here to share my life and my truth and if you don’t like it, congratulations, IDGAF.

Reality Check:

This is way harder than regular life for some of us. The days are now longer, yet we have exponentially less time for ourselves. I actually have many jobs:

-Mother

-Housekeeper

-Elementary school teacher teaching two separate grade levels

-Short order cook at a diner that is open 24/7

And my bosses are unrelenting, yet cute.

I promise you:

I am not lazy if didn’t get a workout in today or didn’t eat clean.

I am not lacking discipline because I didn’t start my own podcast with all of this “free time.”

If you have the luxury of not having to sanitzing your loved one’s clothes every night after they return home from an 11-hour workday, then I implore you to go learn to speak Italian!

While feeding and keeping alive two kids by myself all day every day, I would love to get that workout in.

If you are not trying to teach two children, one who is non-neurotypical two separate curriculums at once, then I am so happy you got that side hustle going girlfriend!

At the end of the day:

Live your truth and do your thang. But try to lift us up, not tear us down. I promise you we are harder on ourselves than you could ever know. Don’t shame us because we are not living up to YOUR expectations of how WE should be handling this situation.

Please don’t shame anyone for not doing what YOU think is the right way to respond in this time because nobody has been through this, ever. And by the way, yes I would love to read more, eat better, and get in more exercise. But right now I am doing THE BEST I CAN!

Many of us are mourning the loss of what our lives used to look at and we will all handle it differently so please be kind.

Be bold, be vulnerable and take care of yourself, WHATEVER that may look like to you! I am always here if you wanna talk!

Xo,

Betsy