I normally oppose going to all movies at all costs when those movies are played during the day hours because I find coming out of a movie theater when it's light outside to be supremely depressing.
But I've had a relatively stressful work week/month/year/life and I love myself so I decided I would just take some time and do it.
I met Meg at the theater at 4:00 in the afternoon. She wanted to see a movie called Tully. No spoilers here, but basically it's about a woman with two kids who has a third baby and is super overwhelmed with caring for the newborn.
And y'all. Like 20 minutes into this movie I was so stressed about motherhood that scheduling a dozen spa days is basically a medical necessity for me right now. I went shopping right after the movie and charged everything to my insurance card.
I'm one thousand percent convinced that Meg wanted me to go to this movie with her because of every time I've screamed at her for not staying caught up on TV shows because she was too busy dealing with sick children and I'm like "CHANGE YOUR PRIORITIES OR DON'T BOTHER COMING HOME."
Oh, that is fun to say.
The ending of the movie was so touching that both of us were ugly crying NOT THAT WE'RE UGLY and Meg basically turned to me and screamed "SEE?! MOTHERHOOD IS UNRELENTING!" which was an interesting thing for someone who was at a movie at 4:00 in the afternoon on a weekday to scream at someone else.
Then I went home and I basically didn't sleep the entire night. I'm not kidding you about this. I don't know the last time a movie had that kind of impact on me. I couldn't stop thinking about all of the moms I know and how truly incredible it is that they have the energy to do what they do.
Last year I wrote similar sentiments after watching my sister's kids for a couple of days, during which I aged 12 years and cried twice. But then the next day I was back at home being fed grapes by several household servants while a musician sang and fanned me with a large leaf. So I forgot everything I learned.
But Tully reminded me that motherhood is hard.
And I didn't even have to change a diaper this time!
It can be easy for me to lose perspective on what life that isn't like mine looks like. Life is exhausting in different ways for each of us. And every single one you should be proud for pushing through that exhaustion, whatever yours looks like, to make your impact on your little world, whatever it may be.
Meg doesn't hear it enough from me, but I think she's exceptional. And she didn't even have to force me to go to a day movie to convince me of that. But it did help remind me.
Please be a little kinder to the exhausted people you know today, and give a hand where you can, too.
Or don't bother coming home.
And now, this week's Strangerville:
This time in Strangerville, Eli and Meg talk Twitter. And an 12-year-old girl takes a prank phone call a little too far.
Story
Prank Call, by Kina Scott (music by bensound.com)
Produced by Eli McCann and Meg Walter
~It Just Gets Stranger
Hey! Moms getting validated and IT'S NOT EVEN MOTHER'S DAY!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eli. Being a mom is hard, but sometimes it's not. Being a single mom is sometimes harder and sometimes easier. I posted pictures of my kids on your FB page and my kids are that cute 80% of the time, and although there are moments when I want to run away, I wouldn't trade my life with them for anything else in the world.
While, as a mother, I want to say, "That's right! We deserve so much more respect for what we do!!" I think the most profound part of your post was this:
ReplyDelete"It can be easy for me to lose perspective on what life that isn't like mine looks like. Life is exhausting in different ways for each of us. And every single one you should be proud for pushing through that exhaustion, whatever yours looks like, to make your impact on your little world, whatever it may be."
It really is hard to remember that each of us has a different perspective. I'm at a point in my life where I am Never. Alone. Ever. The very concept of loneliness escapes me. I fantasize about committing a crime that requires me to be put in solitary confinement, and I cannot imagine how that could be a punishment. But I recognize that there are many people who struggle very deeply with being lonely. Their lives are very different from mine, but their exhaustion with it is equally real. Thank you for the reminder that although our problems have different forms, we all have difficult things to deal with.
And now I'm a little afraid to see that movie.
I think its important to point out that the mom in Tully **SPOILERS** is suffering from severe postpartum depression and eventually the very serious condition of postpartum psychosis. I don't necessarily think Tully is a totally terrific representation of the stressors of motherhood. BUT it is nice to have a movie highlight the extreme work that having and raising baby is and the need to give extra support and love to mothers, especially new ones.
ReplyDeleteTruth. But long before the mental health issues became apparent, just the physical acts of parenting looked exhausting me to me. The mental health issues added a whole new layer for me that made me also think a lot about how many people struggle with mental illness without the people around them realizing it.
DeleteSo....I just had to check, and the commercial does exist, haha! Not sure when she last looked for the commercial, but this was the first hit when I typed in "1800 45 closet": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe1svEpZs3M Love the podcast as usual!
ReplyDeleteOMG! That dancing man is so much creepier than I was imagining!
DeleteThat's the closest I have found to the original commercial, but sadly not it! The one I remember has a Kenny Loggins-ish voice singing the jingle, and the dancing man slowly makes his way across the whole phone number. Even cringy-er than this one, but bravo for finding it!
DeleteWait, whaaaat is that little man doing there?? He both detracts and adds value to the whole closet world experience. (I do enjoy his running man move he's got going on there.)
Delete-Chaun
Love this. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteKina's story is why 12 year-old girls are the best and worst at the same time. I loved it, and it made me laugh out loud remembering my own similar experiences at that age.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, and thank you! My kids had never heard this story before, and I threatened their lives if they ever pulled a stunt like this one. "But why did you do it?" "Because I'm your mother, that's why! Don't you question me!"
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