The saying exists that life resembles a roller coaster. Life sometimes feels more like being tied to an out-of-control train than a roller coaster because it pushes students through continuous assignments and emotional challenges under relentless judgment.
Student motherhood introduces additional obstacles to life which make your train journey feel like it carries an infant carriage along with textbooks and endless tasks as long as your stretching arm. The reality I face each day involves pursuing better outcomes while balancing everyday life duties which become overwhelming when matched against present responsibilities.
I’m a student. I’m a mom. I’m a housekeeper. The different identities I manage each day represent more than labels because they consist of complex overlapping responsibilities that sometimes contradict one another. Each day starts with the sun still hidden by darkness because I run against time alone.
The little one requires nourishment and the dwelling requires cleaning yet the study materials for the upcoming lesson demand attention. The sheets of paper seem to challenge my exhausted mind as they observe me from their position at the corner of the room.
The struggle is real.It is in the spilled milk I have to clean while simultaneously trying to soothe a crying infant.The late night study period happens when I consume coffee and push hard through completion until my vision blurs while I work on complex theories as the baby monitor produces soft noises from my child. A mental conflict torments me while my emotions tell me that I am failing at every task.
Am I a good enough mother? Does my dedication meet the standards of being both a student and a mother? Is my house clean enough?The questions swirl in my mind,a relentless storm of self-doubt.
And then there’s the judgment. People feel entitled to share unwanted views and give disapproving looks and mutter comments that haunt my steps. The people judge me by saying my age serves as a reason to question my motherhood and demanding I prioritize my child before academics.
They also point at my home to claim it is untidy.Evident or indirect criticism delivers a profound impact to me. These negative opinions create a powerful force which intensifies my self-doubts so that I experience continual close examination in each action and all my imperfections become exaggerated.
It is exhausting,It is overwhelming.There are days when I want to scream to throw my hands up in the air and declare,I can’t do this anymore!,the pressure builds a suffocating weight on my chest.I see other students carefree and unburdened their biggest worry being an upcoming exam.I see other mothers their homes spotless their children perfectly behaved and I wonder How do they do it?
The truth remains unknown to me because I lack a magical solution or special methods for achieving balance between everything.What I possess instead is an unyielding commitment to establish a better future for my child and myself.This commitment serves as my driving force and guiding light when everything seems dark.It brings forward the picture of my child's joyful expression coupled with conquering graduation through my persistent belief all this perseverance really will bear fruit.
Because beneath the exhaustion, beneath the frustration there is a quiet strength growing within me.I am learning to be resilient to prioritize,to manage my time or what little of it tht I have.
I am learning to ask for help,to lean on my support system,to accept that I can’t do everything perfectly.And most importantly,I am learning to let go of the judgment to silence the inner critic,to embrace the imperfections and celebrate the small victories.
I’m learning that being a student mom is not about having it all together.It is about showing up every day,doing the best I can and knowing that even on the days when I feel like I’m failing,I am still moving forward.It is about recognizing that my worth is not defined by the opinions of others but by the love I have for my child and the determination I have to achieve my dreams.
This journey is hard.It is undeniably brutally hard.There will be more sleepless nights, more mountains of laundry,more moments of doubt and despair. But I know deep down that every hurdle I overcome,every tear I shed,is making me stronger.It is forging within me a resilience that I never knew I possessed.
And I believe with every fiber of my being that a beautiful day will come.It may not be tomorrow,it may not be next week but it will come.It will be a day when the weight on my shoulders feels a little lighter when the voices of judgment fade into the background,when I can finally take a deep breath and say,I did it.
That day,whenever it arrives will be a testament to the power of perseverance,the strength of a mother’s love and the unwavering belief in a brighter future.It will be a reminder that even in the face of overwhelming challenges even when we feel like we’re at our breaking point we are capable of extraordinary things.We are capable of juggling multiple roles of chasing our dreams,of building a better life for ourselves and our children.And that,in itself is a beautiful thing.
So,to all the student moms or the single parents,the individuals struggling to balance life’s demands,I see you.I understand your struggles. And I want you to know that you are not alone.Keep pushing forward,keep believing in yourself and keep holding onto the hope that a beautiful day is waiting for you just around the corner.Because it is. And when that day comes,you will shine. You will shine brighter than you ever thought possible.And all the pain, all the hurdles will be worth it.Because you are worth it.Your dreams are worth it.And your future is waiting.