Rest, Reflection, and The Power of Saying No

You’re reading Modern Motherhood Musings, a weekly newsletter written from one mom to another. Each week I share an honest reflection on motherhood and a collection of things bringing me joy. Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

You might have noticed I didn’t send a newsletter out last week.

We traveled for my grandmother’s funeral, and by the time Thursday evening rolled around, I had nothing left to give. No words, no energy—just exhaustion. So, I made a choice. I let myself be human. I allowed myself to say, “I just can’t get it all done this week.”

And you know what? It was freeing. The world didn’t end. Everything was okay.

I realized, in that moment, that I was the only one placing this pressure on myself—to keep all the balls in the air, to check off every box on my ever-growing (and mostly unrealistic) to-do list. But sometimes, we just have to stop. We have to acknowledge that we are human. That we need rest. That it’s okay to say no.

Our kids are watching us, absorbing how we move through the world. And I worry that we’re teaching them that life is an endless race—one where we have to always be productive, always doing, always rushing. We cram our schedules so full that dinner is eaten in the car between activities, conversations are rushed, and moments of stillness feel like a luxury we can’t afford.

It’s an exhausting existence. We are so focused on the next thing that we forget to enjoy the thing we’re doing right now.

We stop by a birthday party for 30 minutes, just so we can make it to another one, because we’re triple-booked that day.

We open our laptops after the kids go to bed instead of sitting with our spouse, because there’s always more to do, more to accomplish, more to check off the list.

But what is the goal? What are we chasing? Are we actually enjoying our lives, or are we just hoping that one day, when everything is finally “done,” we’ll be able to?

What if we stopped? Just a little.

What if we let our kids see us lingering in bed on a Saturday morning, savoring our coffee instead of rushing out the door?

What if we said no to that party invitation, simply because we didn’t want to spend another weekend running from one thing to the next?

What if we let our kids be “bored” and watched as their imaginations took over?

What if we allowed ourselves to be bored? To sit with a book, to catch up with a friend over coffee—with no agenda, no rush, no sense of needing to be anywhere but here?

What if we stepped off the hamster wheel for a moment and just took a deep breath?

Let’s give ourselves that grace. To slow down. To be present. To simply be human.

What are you most looking forward to enjoying this weekend? I’d love to hear!

👜 I got this purse for my birthday and love it. It’s the perfect size, neutral to go with either black or brown, and the personalization option gives it that extra special touch.

📖 I started this book over the weekend and am loving it. It’s historical fiction set in Russia in the 1920’s. Have any of you read it? Would love to hear your thoughts!

🍆 If you’re looking for a lighter Italian dish that still feels warm and fulfilling, you have to give this recipe a try. It’s SO good. We ate it with an easy kale caesar salad.

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

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