To the woman who sacrificed her comfort zone—leaving her family, friends, and everything she’d ever known—to follow her new husband across the country for his job:
I see you.
To the wife who pours herself into making a house her home, only to have to move again:
I see you.
To the wife who put her career, education, and personal pursuits on hold for the sake of her family:
I see you.
To the mom who went through pain and misery for nine months, only to have motherhood turn out to be nothing like she’d dreamed and longed for it to be:
I see you.
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To the mom who spent countless family gatherings locked away in a back room nursing a cranky cluster-feeding baby, missing out on quality time with her loved ones:
I see you.
To the mom whose toddler was finally letting her sleep through the night, only to discover she’s pregnant again:
I see you.
To the mom who loses sleep worrying about her kids (all three of us), if she was a good enough mom today, if she was a good enough wife today, if she remembered to transfer the laundry today:
I see you.
To the mom who doesn’t even remember what hobbies she used to have before the children she dreamed of and longed for came along:
I see you.
To the wife whose house was always clean, tidy, organized, and homey before the kids came along:
I see you.
To the mom who would love to sit in the sunshine and read a book from start to finish, uninterrupted, but can’t remember the last time she was able to do so:
I see you.
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To the woman who is smarter than anyone I’ve ever met, who loves learning and stretching her mind, but whose most intelligent conversations all day revolve around convincing her two-year-old that he does, in fact, like mac & cheese, that it’s his favorite food that he asked for 10 minutes ago, or that he has to wear his diaper today, just like he did yesterday and every day of his life so far:
I see you.
I see you for who you really are: a hero.
Not the glamorous hero that gets publicity, accolades, or fortune, but the hero your kiddos so desperately need.
The hero who was willing to sacrifice your interests for theirs, who was willing to read their stories instead of your own, who endured nursing your children, even when it meant going dairy-free for months on end so your baby girl didn’t get an upset tummy.
I see you. I see that you’re still an interesting person. I see that you long to put your house in order, but that you value spending time playing with your kiddos more than the need to have a tidy house.
I see you. I see you willing to sit through hearing about my day at work, while many days you miss being at work yourself.
I see you. I see the countless sacrifices you’ve made for your family. I see the hours you’ve spent crying over whether you’re even a good mom or not. I see the hours you’ve poured into making sure our kids are safe, are cared for, are loved.
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I see you. I see the smartest person in the room who is just one uninterrupted nap away from having the whole room in stitches with your jokes.
I see my wife, who too often goes unappreciated, unpraised, uncelebrated, and feeling unnoticed.
I see someone much stronger than I am, with more patience than I have, who thinks farther ahead than I do, who has the toughest job in the world.
I may not always understand, and my attempts to help out and fix things may not always be helpful, but I see you, I love you, I’m proud of you, and I thank God for you.
You’re my hero!