Itz Holistically Wholesome

I was going through my camera roll when I saw this photo of myself, and instantly I knew my eldest had taken it because she is a silly one. Little did she understand how tired I felt at that moment; I was beyond drained. The night before, I had only gotten four hours of sleep because my youngest did not fall asleep until around 3 am. I got up early, ran to the store, and by this time, I was mentally drained upon learning of the tragic death of someone I know first thing in the morning. “Discombobulated” might even be a better word. I returned home, woke up my son, got him ready for school, and my daughter dropped him off because she was heading out at the same time. I stayed up all day doing laundry, packing clothes away, cleaning the house, and taking care of my youngest. I even went out back and began preparing my deck garden for planting. Even though I had my workout clothes on, I did not get to exercise.

At 3 pm, I picked up my son, and of course, both he and the baby wanted to go to the playground, so we did that. After we got home, I made them a light snack and started dinner. My son wanted something sweet, so I baked a fresh batch of banana-pecan-walnut cupcakes, and of course, he wanted a little frosting on top, so I made cashew frosting with dates, almond milk, and a small bit of vegan cream cheese. The frosting could have been thicker, but the flavor was awesome.

Dinner was ready around 6 pm and we ate. At 6:40 pm, I rushed out the house to pick my eldest up from school for 6:50 pm, so I was late.

Here are some suggested grammar and phrasing adjustments for clarity and flow:

By this time, I felt ridiculously tired. Honestly, I was a bit nervous about driving because I could feel myself drifting off to sleep at intervals. The slight swerving of the vehicle momentarily reminded me to stay awake. I wound the windows down and quickly put on an audiobook which did not help much; sleep was my only cure at this point. Thankfully, I made it safely to the parking lot of my daughter’s school. I quickly parked my car, reclined my seat, and closed my eyes. I didn’t even notice her approaching until she knocked on the window for me to open the front passenger door and let her in. After I did, within that instant, I drifted off to sleep. I could hear her saying, “Mommy, are we going?” I managed to mumble, “Give me a few minutes because I am too tired.” She must have waited because it felt like a while before she said, “Mommy, are we not going to leave?” I managed to sit up, gathered myself, shrugged off the drowsiness, and pulled off. Later, she asked me if we could go to Walmart because she needed something. I told her I could not, not when I am so tired. When we got home, I parked, and we sat in the car for about half an hour. I just needed to rest a while longer before getting back to what I had to do.

By the time it was after 8 p.m., I washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. Then I got the kids upstairs to get them ready for bed. I had a short worship session with my son and gave him his usual back rub, which helped him fall asleep faster. While doing that, I remembered that I had laundry to put in the dryer, so I got that done. This was after 10 p.m. Up until 11:03 p.m., my baby was still awake, so I decided it was a good time to get some exercise, even though I felt like skipping it for the day. I exercised until 12 a.m., then took a bath. By 1 a.m., my baby fell asleep, and so did I right after. 😴 💤.

This is to highlight that sometimes, as mothers or homemakers, our responsibilities can take a significant toll on us. We have so much on our plates but push each day to get it done. It is especially tough when there are no extra hands to help or relieve us in our most tiresome moments.

My daughter did not understand the extent of my exhaustion, but I appreciate her capturing this moment of vulnerability, which inspired me to share a part of this journey in its rawest form. It is not always shown or spoken about. The truth is, it gets real, and this is real life—well, this is my life.

Tomorrow, I will do it all over again.

“Remembering a Brother and Colleague: A Tribute”

“Even though I know that in the midst of life is death, the news of your tragic passing was devastating. You were a man of God, a husband, father, and friend to many. You served your country well, and I look forward to seeing you on the great day of our Lord’s coming. Revelation 21:4 says, ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ Rest In Peace until then.”