‘TIS SHOUTY THURSDAY, LOVELIES!

FOR CHRISTMAS, GREG MADE ME THE T-SHIRT I MAY HAVE MENTIONED A FEW HUNDRED TIMES. IT HAS A PILE O’ BOXES DEPICTED AND MY FAVORITE PHRASE OF 2023: MOMMY DOESN’T CARRY THINGS.

I.E….

ME, WHEN MY ADULT CHILDREN ARE MOVING: YER ON YOUR OWN, BABIES! MOMMY DOESN’T CARRY THINGS. (I NEED THAT ON A T-SHIRT.)

ME, WHEN I ARRIVE HOME WITH THE GROCERIES: COME UNLOAD THE CAR, LARGE HUMANS! MOMMY DOESN’T CARRY THINGS. (I NEED THAT ON A T-SHIRT.)

ME, WHEN WE’RE PUTTING FLOORING IN, WHICH REQUIRES MOVING 1,436 BOXES UP TWO FLIGHTS OF STAIRS: A’IGHT! LEMME KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE TIME TO MOVE SHIT, ‘CAUSE MOMMY DOESN’T CARRY THINGS. (I NEED THAT ON A T-SHIRT.)

A FEW YEARS AGO I WOULD’VE DIED A DOZEN SHAME-FILLED DEATHS RATHER THAN BEG OFF CARRYING THINGS. I WAS, THEN, OF THE MINDSET THAT LEADERS LEAD BY GETTING IN THE TRENCHES, GETTING THEIR HANDS DIRTY, PARTAKING IN THE GRUNT WORK WITH THE MASSES WHO LOOK TO THEM FOR GUIDANCE. AND HERE’S THE THING: THAT’S NOT WRONG. IT’S JUST THAT, IN MY CASE, LIKE MOST MAMAS, I WASN’T SIMPLY LEADING BY EXAMPLE. I WAS DOING ALL MY WORK CARRYING THE FULL MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL LOADS, AND THEN FURTHER EXHAUSTING MYSELF WITH THE FULL PHYSICAL LOAD, TOO. THAT’S WHEN MY FRIEND, MARA, SAID A REVOLUTIONARY THING TO ME, “OH. I DON’T DO THAT. I’M THE PROJECT MANAGER. SO I DON’T DO THE PROJECTS.” I WAS AS HORRIFIED AS I WAS JEALOUS. “YOU CAN’T JUST NOT DO THE THINGS, MARA! THAT IS NOT HOW IT WORKS,” I THOUGHT. BUT IT CAN WORK THAT WAY. IF YOU LET IT.

I ADMIT, NOT DOING EVERYTHING HAS REQUIRED ITS OWN HEAVY LIFTING, PSYCHOLOGICALLY SPEAKING. I’M STILL WORKING ON RELEASING GUILT. BUT I ALSO RAISED FIVE HUMANS FROM TINIES TO BIGS, AND WE’VE ADDED ADDITIONAL BIGS AS TIME HAS PROGRESSED. ME CARRYING THINGS WHEN THE YOUNGS CAN STEP IN? THAT WOULD BE SILLY AT THIS JUNCTURE. PURE FOOLISHNESS. AND NOT JUST THE PHYSICAL THINGS, YOU FEEL ME? YEAH, YOU GET IT. I KNOW YOU DO.

SO, WHAT’VE YOU GOT, FRIENDS? WHAT ARE YOUR SHOUTS HERE AT THE END OF 2023? WHAT’VE YOU RELEASED? WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED? HOW IS YOUR HEART? SHARE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN CARRYING. SHOUTS OF ALL TYPES AND SIZES ALLOWED. (OTHER THAN MEAN. MEAN HAS NO PLACE HERE.)