Motherhood Mentality.

I'm usually pretty good at remembering things, but in the year years since becoming a mom, the list of things I need to remember has become insanely overwhelming.  There are days when it's 7 pm, I'm standing at the sink washing dishes and I space out -- brain dead from the number of things I've mentally remembered over the past 20 hours (not 24 because I do need to sleep!).  

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I've read countless articles over the past 4 years about "The List".  

You know the one I'm talking about: The mental list that you rehearse in your head at night, the last thing you think about before you fall asleep, the list you think about first thing in the morning before you even mentally prepare yourself to put your feet on the floor, the same list that you check items off of throughout the day (mine has little squares that I put mental check marks in... it makes me abnormally happy to do that).  

This list... men just don't understand it.  

I read an article a few years ago (on CNN, from 2016) and thankfully saved it... I refer to it often.  The article quoted a 1996 study by Sociologist Susan Walzer.  Yes, I know, 1996 feels like an eternity ago, but also -- everything she says still rings true (which is the beauty Sociological scientific research of this kind).   

But one tiny little note from the article has stuck with me.  The article says, "[Mothers] do more worrying (like wondering if their child is hitting his/[her] developmental milestones). And they do more organizing and delegating (like deciding when the mattress needs to be flipped or what to cook for dinner)."

I when I reread the article this week I realized WHY I showed up at my dentist at 2:59 Monday afternoon -- not just ONE MINUTE early for my appointment... but a WHOLE WEEK and one minute early for my appointment.  Because, I can not think of ONE time my husband (who I love DEARLY) has EVER EVER EVER come to me and said -- I think we should flip the mattress over -- or just done it when changing the sheets (hahaha) but I shit you not, THAT is actually on my list RIGHT NOW (because we need to not only flip it... but we just actually need a new mattress).

I could go on.... with the number of little things that us women need to remember, because this is not just limited to Mom's, but I won't.... I just wanted to acknowledge it, and acknowledge YOU all.  

So, CHEERS to the women who show up a WEEK early for their dentist appointments.  Because we are truly on top of the ball... actually, maybe we're dropping the ball... but I can't be bothered to remember because I need to go flip my mattress right now.

P.S.

SIDE NOTE:  this got me thinking.... can you imagine what the world would be like if men had their periods and had to carry around a pad or tampon at all times JUST IN CASE (like we do).  WE ALL KNOW that they'd turn to us at dinner and say -- honey, I just got my period, do you have my tampons?  lololol.