Every day, most parents are just doing their best with what they’ve got. I see it all day, every day. Parents with mad skills or no skills, but with love in their hearts, trying to make their kid’s life a little better than theirs was.

Being a parent is like driving with no brakes. It’s like making cake with no instructions, just the raw ingredients. Parents every day wake up, drag their kids out of bed, get them somewhat dressed, feed them, bathe them, send them to school and then get themselves to work to do the same routine in reverse in the evening.

I was recently reminded of how hard this routine is when talking to parents in my classroom. I can still feel the sinking feeling of knowing I had about 4.5 hours of sleep between finishing getting ready for tomorrow and waking up tomorrow. I never had much time to relax or just pause. It was pretty constant do.do.do. It’s just a lot. A big a lot. There are blessings and joys, for sure, but it feels like a kind of war. I’m not a soldier, but being a parent is a little like fighting a battle.

I love this photo. And yet, a chicken is photo bombing me.