Let’s talk about what it’s like to be a woman in today’s society. The pressure, guilt and heartache that plagues women today. I have been unemployed for 3 months now. Victim of Covid-19 furloughs. It stings. I’m resentful. There are days when I don’t even want to get out of bed. But I do. I push forward out of guilt. Guilt that I didn’t do enough that day. Guilt that I need to contribute in some way. Isn’t that a horrible feeling?

Some days, you just need to give yourself some grace and be lazy. Really feel those feeling and somehow work through them. I’ve been staying so busy that I haven’t given myself proper room to grieve. I tie so much of my self-worth into my career and if I’m not contributing I feel like a failure. I’m sure many people can relate. I know you shouldn’t tie your self-worth to your job, but it happens!

Since being laid off, I have done so many things. Organized, deep cleaned, took classes, started this blog, got into an exercise routine, read the bible not to mention all the work I’ve done when it comes to job hunting. All of these things are WONDERFUL but I’ve also been avoiding the pain. Sometimes you just need to live in the pain and grieve.

Now that the unemployment section of the Cares Act is ending on July 31st, I’m also starting to panic about finances. Read more about it here. We’ve been able to survive on around a thousand dollars less a month than when I was working but how can we survive on $3400 less a month??? Sure we have savings but that will only carry us a few months. Maybe that’s our own fault but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s true.

How did we get this way as a society? Tying our self-worth to our careers instead of our actual lives. Why isn’t being a good parent, spouse, friend or family member enough? We seem to have flipped the script from “working to live” to “living to work”. Some women are extra vulnerable to this mentality because we are also mothers.

Mothers feel guilty about absolutely everything!

Do we spend enough quality time with our children?

Are we meeting the needs of our spouse?

Do we make enough healthy meals for our families?

Did we keep the house clean enough?

Were we successful enough at work?

Is it too much to ask for an hour off to take our child to the Dr? — I mean, we can’t possibly look like we perform at a lower level now that we have a child compared to our male counterparts!

Am I enough?

Enough is ENOUGH!

As women we NEED to take our power back. I’m not pushing some feminist agenda here. I’m pushing women to allow themselves room. We need room to grieve, room to not be perfect, room to grow. We get so caught up in “doing enough” that we lose sight of what is actually important. Relationships, family, moments.

Our careers are important but life is sooooo much more important. It’s in these hard times that I can see this very clearly. My employer didn’t think twice about cutting my job, why should I ever put their needs above my own? Let’s start living up to our own standards and teach our daughters to do the same.

Food for thought. Pun intended. 😉

It is my hope and desire to be a great role model for my daughter. I wish the same for you. Follow me for more whimsical heart stories.