You Is Important

List off the top five most important people to you. 

No really. Do it. 

1. Husband

2. Older girl child

3. Boy child

4. Younger girl child

5. My mom

Some people lump their kids into one person, but they're not one person so list them separately. Mine are in age order, not favoritism order. They equally have good and less good qualities to them. 

But I digress. 

There's usually someone missing from that list that is pretty darn important. 

You. 

 

It's true. I'm important to me because without me, three of the people on that list wouldn't exist. It's easy to forget how important you are when the kids are needing this and wanting that and fighting over everything. 

Motherhood shouldn't make you less important. It makes you MORE important. Those three beasts rely on me to feed, clothe, bathe, protect, and teach them. That's pretty important! 

You do everything you can for your family as soon as you get that glorious second line on a pee stick. 

But when you put yourself in the list of important people and put another list next to it of all the things you do for them, your list might look something like mine:

Husband: support education, make healthy meals, encourage hobbies and activities, listen and provide counsel when needed, fulfill emotional and physical needs, maintain healthy marriage through communication, honor marriage covenants

Older girl child: provide clothing, housing, healthy foods, bathe, love, play, read to her, build self esteem and confidence, help with homework, teach life skills, cuddle and build trusting relationship and communication. 

Boy child: same as above

Younger girl child: same as above, but added diapers (womp womp)

Me: try to eat healthy but end up chugging an instant breakfast and a couple fun size snickers until dinner.

That certainly doesn't seem like I belong on that list because I don't treat myself like I'm a priority. 

Even the secret candy I bought myself for a reward ended up going to Cub Scouts with me last week and handed out to the boys because I forgot a treat. 

Pity party, maybe. But until you start seeing yourself as important and a priority, motherhood and marriage is going to seem like hell with nary a thanks or reciprocation of service to be found. 

Motherhood IS a sacrifice, but not a sacrifice of self worth and importance. 

Even if it's something small like a pint of ice cream and a home pedicure after kids are in bed, take a little time to make yourself a priority on that list. 

Because you're important. You matter most at least sometimes, and that's ok.