A few years ago, Kate Swenson started a blog called Finding Cooper’s Voice to talk about her son's autism. At first, she poured her heart out daily for just a couple of readers. Kate's sole purpose was talking about her emotions. Over time, however, more and more people started noticing her sincere texts. Now, the mom has over 560,000 followers on Facebook alone.
If you take a look at any of her uploads, you'll instantly understand why Kate's blog is doing so well. She perfectly captures not only her own feelings but the reality of being a parent in general. Few can externalize such complex inner experiences as clear as she does. And this entry is no exception. Titled I Never Knew Being A Mother Would Be So Hard For You, it delves deep into trying to understand what it's like to be a mom.
Image credits: Finding Cooper's Voice
Image credits: Finding Cooper's Voice
Image credits: Finding Cooper's Voice
Image credits: Finding Cooper's Voice
"For me, I am a pretty laid back mom so when I get stressed... it’s really stressful," Kate told Bored Panda. "Sick kids, deadlines at work and never-ending laundry will do that to a person. I don’t typically have prolonged periods of stress. I would more say they come and go."
She believes that there are hard moments and even hard days and weeks. But the hard won’t last forever. "So, when I am struggling, I remind myself that this too shall pass. I also really focus on finding joy whenever I can. Meaning, on my hardest days, my nonverbal son may try to say a word or my 7-year-old may score a goal in hockey. I try to focus on those parts. Find the joy in the hard."
Image credits: Finding Cooper's Voice
At the end of the day, however, all of her struggles are worth it. "I have the best children ever, an amazing husband and a beautiful life," Kate said. "The boys in my life make it all worthwhile. I know that for a fact. I am a very blessed mom. But as I’ve aged, I’ve learned that saying it’s hard sometimes helps. Admitting to being overwhelmed does, too. It doesn’t make me weak. It makes me real. In fact, I think it makes me a better mom!"
Parents couldn't agree with Kate more
