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There’s something sacred about the inside of a closet.
Not the Pinterest kind with color-coded bins and cedar-scented hangers.
I’m talking about the kind with a pile of unfolded laundry, a few lone socks, and you, crouched between jackets, clutching a granola bar you’re pretending not to eat in secret.
Yes, friend. Welcome to the sanctuary of moms who just needed a minute.
Because sometimes, this is the only room with a door that locks.
Sometimes, it’s where we go not to fall apart, but to hold ourselves together for five more minutes.
The Unseen Job Description
No one tells you in the baby books that motherhood includes:
- Conflict negotiation at 7:03 AM over sock color.
- Finding a single crayon lodged in your bra.
- Getting touched approximately 97 times before you’ve finished your coffee.
- Saying “Please don’t lick that” in public, again.
And then there’s the guilt.
The pressure. The constant feeling that you should be doing more, being more, knowing more.
So when the overwhelm crashes in, we retreat—to closets, bathrooms, pantries wherever we can find a few square feet to breathe.
The Closet Isn’t Failure—It’s a Lifeline
Crying in the closet doesn’t mean you’re weak.
It doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re showing up, every single day, despite how hard it is.
That tiny, messy space becomes a cocoon. A place to whisper, “I can’t do this,” and then, somehow, do it anyway.
Sometimes, my four-year-old knocks on the door mid-sob-session and asks, “Are you okay, Mama?”
And I say, “I will be.” Because I know I will.
That’s the thing about moms – we may unravel, but we always stitch ourselves back together, one deep breath at a time.
If You’re in the Closet, Too…
Here’s what I want you to know:
- You’re not alone. So many of us are hiding in closets with silent tears and cold coffee.
- You’re allowed to need space.
- You don’t have to be perfect to be everything your child needs.
- Some days, the win is just showing up. Even with puffy eyes.
And if no one’s told you lately: you’re doing an incredible job.
Not because everything’s clean or calm, but because you keep loving through the chaos.
So if today finds you crouched in a closet, mascara smudged, heart heavy—take your time.
Take your breath. Then open the door and step back into the wild, messy magic of being someone’s mama.
You’ve got this. And if not right now, then in five minutes.
