Motherhood means dealing with tears and crying—but sometimes those tears are your own. One mom shares a heartfelt reminder on Instagram that motherhood is a series of stages, and it’s okay if sometimes you find yourself crying through them. She writes:

I’m not ashamed to share that some memories made come with a lot of tears. Motherhood isn’t always the pretty square photos you see on Instagram.

By the end of the day I am running on empty. I’m at zero.

I laid with my toddler for more than an hour waiting for her to fall asleep while yearning for some time for myself. I became frustrated and impatient after an hour of her tossing and turning, so I decided to just step outside to gather myself. Then here came the biggest meltdown… usually I just run back to her and I can get her to settle down. But her wailing and screaming agitated me even more and I just broke down.

Related: 7 simple things you can do right now if you’re feeling overwhelmed

At that moment, I just couldn’t suck it in any longer.

I really hit my breaking point. I had two choices: let her continue to cry and wake up the baby which, in turn, will frustrate me even more or cry with her. I chose the latter.

I held her and we both cried together until we both calmed down.

She eventually fell asleep and finally I had time to myself so late in the evening. I reflected on how long it took for me to finally have that time alone then I sobbed even more. All my frustrations, worries, and anxieties poured out.

Related: To the new mamas, it won’t always be like this—it gets better

Lately motherhood has been beyond difficult for me… but I’m reminded that the age they’re in now is just a stage. A stage that will change and change. As moms, we don’t need to enjoy each stage as much as we want to and that’s totally okay. We’re doing the best we can and that’s all that matters. Tears will flow and that’s also okay.

Related Stories

how to calm a crying toddler Motherly

Parenting

11 soothing phrases to say when your child is crying

image 3 Motherly

It's Science

This is what happens to a mother’s brain when her baby cries

origin 3796 Motherly

Life

New mamas, it’s okay if you don’t ‘enjoy every single moment’