I came across this Instagram Reel about faith without works being dead (click the image to watch.) It spoke to me about the wondrous nature of work meeting providence. You have to pray to catch the bus and work like heck to actually get on the bus. Like Kerry Washington talked about, if it’s not your bus, it’s God’s way of protecting you, but if it is and you gingerly strolled down the street, you might have missed it. Cue regret and remorse music because that could have been your bus.

Keeping with the theme of school buses…

Monday, August 22, was the first day of school in our new neighborhood. This picture is from Tuesday, the day that we actually made the bus. On Monday, one kid was on the bus and wasn’t let off, and two kids were left behind in school. We figured it out, albeit my heart was lodged in my throat, waiting for confirmation from bus dispatch that they indeed had my child with them. I am grateful for this image. As an immigrant, this solidifies the quintessential Americaness of childhood. I love it. I love them. I love that they made it on the school bus in our new house that I almost gingerly strolled toward and could have missed. I am grateful to have caught the bus too.

For many of us, back-to-school time is an intense period of newness, stress, changes, and adjustment to find normalcy of routine. There are too many to note.

Our team dubbed this period as a time of need for heightened mental health for our ambitious mothers, already juggling and re-juggling.

Some people have chosen to quiet quit as a means of survival during this time.

I’ve chosen to write to myself.

Dearest, 

Take heart. 

Thank God for your new house, the "west lawn," and the multicultural neighborhood. Thank God you did not walk away from this opportunity to settle your children.

#schoolbus homie! No more struggle on who’s doing pick-ups. Yes, you want to sob with the amount of overwhelm bursting through your pores. The new house, the old house, sign-ups for soccer, or is it dance or lacrosse? Remember to meet the neighbors, buy presents, declutter, reorganize, smile more, depersonalize, and slow dance with your significant other.  

It's okay to feel like it's a lot. It is a lot, all at once. 

This, too shall pass. 

Before you know it, your new floors will be done. You WILL move in. The children will have their spaces. You won’t have to commute back and forth between homes, and it will get better. I promise. Because it always does get better, and it always has. Remember when you were overwhelmed in a state of lack? Now, you’re overwhelmed in a state of blessing. You will win! Believe it and don't forget to work like heck...because it might be your bus. And if it's not...it's God's way to reign. 

His will; my hands.

Self-Care v. Self-Sacrifice

Many mothers find it hard to think about themselves after a long day of being with the kids or working hard in the office. Their self-care routine is long forgotten by all the other responsibilities they juggle.

According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, The Role of Maternal Self-Care in New Motherhood, 2013, many mothers tend to prioritize themselves last when it comes to doing things for themselves.

For me, I write (clearly), I listen to worship music, and I also beautify and adorn myself with evening showers followed by a few spritzes of Chanel Number 5 (L’eau)—a slight mist of luxury before bed. It lightens my heart and makes me a good-smelling bed mate.

In the battle of overwhelm, what self-care routine or rituals do you do for yourself that nourishes you physically and spiritually? Click the button below to leave a comment and share your secrets.

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May It Be Well With Your Soul

“The best gift any of us can give ourselves is to live with no regrets. Love everyone that comes into our space. Continue to search our soul for those moments to live fully so that whatever we do, it can be well with our soul.”

Andrea Olatunji, mother, wife, author, yoga instructor, and purposeful inspirator, is passionate about breathing life into other people physically, mindfully, and spiritually. Read about this week's ambitious mother, Andrea Olatunji.

Thank you for reading Popcorn and Tea. We tell first-person stories from the heart—oftentimes humanizing the trials and triumphs of mothering and provide a refuge for mental health.

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“That could have been your 🚌…”