I thought I was finally choosing my family. Then life tried to take me away from them...
In 2022, I finally broke the script. I have a Master’s degree and a career in teaching, but the 14-year-old girl inside of me—the one who knew her highest calling was motherhood—was finally screaming loud enough to hear. I decided to walk away from the “mandatory” career path to be a stay-at-home mom. I thought I had finally arrived at my purpose.
Six months later, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Suddenly, the woman who wanted to be the “pillar” of the home was collapsed in a hospital bed. Instead of taking care of my three beautiful children, I was being taken care of by my husband and my mother.
I felt completely useless.
In a society that tells us our value is tied to our “productivity,” being unable to wash a dish or drive my kids to school felt like a form of death. I was a “Master’s educated teacher” who couldn’t even stand up on her own. I felt like the “Simulation” was punishing me for trying to leave the machine.
But those months were a gift. I realized my family didn’t love me for what I “did” for them. They loved me because I was the HEART of their world.
While I was going through chemo, radiation, and a life-saving stem cell transplant, I was forced to watch my “Inner Circle” from the sidelines. I saw my husband step up in ways that moved me to tears. I saw my children’s resilience. And I realized something profound: My family didn’t love me for what I “did” for them. They loved me because I was the HEART of their world.
I didn’t need to “produce” anything to be the most important person in that house. My survival wasn’t just about me; it was about preserving the sanctuary we had built together.
The “Machine” wants you to think you are only valuable when you are working, consuming, or “feeding the system.” It wants you to feel guilty for “just” being a mom.
Don’t believe the lie.
I stared death in the face and realized that the only thing that matters when the world falls away is the people standing around your bed. I survived the fire so I could come back and tell you: Hyper-focusing on your family isn’t a “small” life. It is the only life that is real.
I am no longer a slave to the “mandatory” path. The “Machine” wants your time and your anxiety. Your family wants your presence. Choose wisely before life chooses for you.
I am a survivor, a wife, and a mother. And that is more than enough. 🕊️🏡
This is my safe space to drop the worry and share what’s on my heart.
🤍 Midwest Millennial Mama
Have you ever had a moment where life forced you to stop ‘doing’ and just ‘be’? How did it change your perspective on what’s actually important?
Drop a comment below. 💬
Midwest Millennial Mama 