Headlines have rung since the beginning of the pandemic: Moms Are Not Okay.

And we’re ALL still picking up the pieces.

We have the remnants of a rocky year.

Kids quarantined at home with us,

Kids homeschooled by us,

Kids social distancing from everyone but us.

The common thread: us.

We’ve been everyone in our family’s rock.

And it’s no question our kids have been rock stars,

but what about us mothers?

Because the mother quarantining with her kids had to keep her kids indoors, away from friends, help educate them and find time to do work or other household chores, too.

And we were doing it all without our usual supports, which left us isolated.

And it was months and months of this life.

We’re also healing from so much loss: job loss, financial loss, and some of us lost family members and friends.

On top of that loss, living in non-stop chaos was damaging to our mental health.

Some of us became depressed, our anxiety spiked, and others turned to unhealthy habits as our stress levels increased.

We had no time to breathe. Self-care was more of an annoying buzzword than ever before.

So it’s not surprising we still haven’t recovered completely in the aftermath. We still haven’t found our breath.

So, we could all use a little grace and sensitivity right now as things head back to normal.

So, let’s not judge the mom who homeschooled her child, who is now behind.

Let’s not judge the mom who has been distant or not herself since the start of the pandemic. Trust me; she has her reasons.

We've learned a lot in this pandemic: about ourselves and our kids without the usual distractions of sports, classes, and appointments. And we’ve become better mothers to our children through it all.

But it was hard.

So instead of judging her for her messy ways coming out, applaud her for showing such strength by putting one foot in front of the other and rising for her children.

Because, yes, maybe she’s STILL not okay, but she will be.

She just needs time to heal.

And that’s human and more than okay.

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook. Her book "Living FULL: Winning My Battle with Eating Disorder" is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O4mJId