1. Sleep. The uninterupted kind.
2. Coffee. Plenty of it.
3. A hot shower. Alone.
4. Appreciation. Spoken words. Written words. Just let us know you notice.
5. Some time alone with Dad.
6. Regular time with girlfriends. (There are some things only other women will understand.)
7. A creative outlet. An old one. A new one. Maybe one yet to be discovered.
8. Encouragement. Daily. If possible–many times a day.
9. Permission to have an occasional emotional meltdown. Because let’s be honest: Sometimes nothing feels better than a serious ugly cry.
10. A nap.
11. Some romance.
12. Some new clothes. (Picking up Costco’s latest does not count.)
13. Exercise. If it is not scheduled, it won’t happen, and it is easy to put our own health behind everything else. Help support us here!
14. Grace. We’re doing our best, but we are still human.
15. A hand getting the house clean. Family: Pitch in…Get the kids to help…Hire a house cleaner. Just don’t leave it all to Mom all of the time.
16. A good book. And the chance to read it now and then.
17. Yummy food that we don’t have to cook. Husbands: Cook for us. Or get takeout. Or take us out. Just feed us something delicious that we don’t have to make (or clean up!) once in a while.
18. Some time to ourselves. All alone. Or at the very least, the chance to use the bathroom without interruption.
19. Chocolate. Our own stash. Please don’t touch it.
20. Laughter. Every day.
21. Thoughtfulness. A kind note. A spontaneous gift. A box of chocolates.
22. More Coffee. **At a real coffee shop, without the kids. (Bringing a friend or a book is a bonus.)
23. Unexpected things. Mommyhood can be so mundane. Surprise us! Flowers or a gift. A trip to Paris (we can dream.) Rescue us from monotony.
24. A vacation–Or at least the chance to plan and dream about one. Even if it is years away, dreaming and planning is half of the fun.|
25. Prayer. Don’t forget–We need it too!
