"Today I wanted to 'tap out' of motherhood for a bit," writes US mum, Regan Long, in a post to her Facebook page, The Real Deal of Parenting.
"I'm ashamed to admit that out loud as it sounds pretty terrible, but I'll be honest, it's the truth."
What the mother-of-four articulates is a feeling many mums can relate to: that at-the-end-of-your-tether fatigue, that bone-deep exhaustion of having absolutely nothing left to give.
"Today I felt like, 'I don't have this anymore. I'm not built for this. I can't do this ... I'm DONE," Ms Long continues, adding that she's "done with the stress of the last few weeks."
And yet, it's not only stress and weeks of sickness that have left the 41-year-old feeling utterly depleted.
"I'm done with talking until I'm blue in the face, and no one listening," she writes. "I'm done stepping over the same jacket or toy or shoe that no matter how many times I wait or ask someone to pick it up, it still remains there or gets shuffled around to a different spot that it doesn't belong in."
For Ms Long, that feeling of groundhog day, of cleaning and cleaning and not getting anywhere, of never-ending laundry, and piles of dishes became all too much.
"I'm done with feeling like a hamster on a wheel that is ready to break," she writes.
Sharing that she wished she could call her mum, ask her to come over and make it all better, Ms Long adds, "But I can't. Oh, how badly I wish I did."
"I wish I could duplicate myself so I didn't feel like I just got to the point of nothing left, less than empty, but I did...again," she says, in words so many of us can relate to.
"Today I yelled when I found the strength to," Ms Long writes adding that she lost her patience and could have won "the worst mother of the year award".
"Today I let negativity and exhaustion and sickness win."
And yet, as day turned to night, Ms Long shares that as she cuddled her baby, her little one uttered the one sentence she needed to hear.
"I make you happy, Mama."
Of the sweet and healing moment, Ms Long writes, "She looked at me and with such sincerity and such love, took her tiny hand and rubbed my cheek."
She didn't ask me this, the mum continues of her little one's words. "She told me this. She point blank told me that she made me happy, such affirmation and certainty, "I make you happy, Mama."
As Ms Long kissed her baby's hands and cheek "over and over" she reflected on her daughter's powerful reminder. "It's incredible how those 5 tiny words reminded me that maybe I can hang tough after all, and I just needed a 2 year old to remind me," she said.
"When we think we're done and there's nothing left, something or someone refuels us when we least expect it."
Ms Long's heartfelt post appears to have been the reminder many other mums needed, too. Her words have since gone viral, resonating with others deep in the trenches of motherhood.
"Oh my goodness!! I had this same kind of day!" one commenter wrote. "Thank you for sharing these words sweet mama. I'm in it with you."
"I really needed this," shared another. "This has been my last three weeks. Some or all sick with colds, stomach flu, ear infections, bleeding disorder, it's just been one thing on top of the other. Today was my breaking point. Just about anyways, then my son told me he loved me more than school and my daughter said I love you mommy and I melted. Being a mom is tough beyond words, but hearing your kids tell you they love you is a blessing that can't be topped."
Read Ms Long's full post below:
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