Mommy Brain

Mommy Brain

Early this morning, when my 17-year-old was leaving for high school and I was still half asleep in bed, I called after her, “Don’t forget, Chamuda, that you have an appointment with the dental hygienist today at 6:30.”

Hallel stopped in her tracks and stared at me, “Eema, how do you keep all this information in your head? How do you DO that?”

Well, the truth is, I have a calendar where I write down all the appointments I need to remember (otherwise I would forget them quicker than my new electrician’s cellphone number).

But Hallel’s right. It’s more than just the calendar…

I realized this when I would go away to a Recovery Home for a few days after giving birth, and I would have to write down on paper for my husband the encyclopedic quantities of information floating around in my brain:

“Thank you so much! A few reminders:

“This son has youth group on Thursday at 5 PM (please send him this week with a bag of bamba)

“That daughter needs to bring her clarinet to school on Tuesday

“This daughter has OT at 4:30 on Thursdays. Take the light rail to the final stop. Take a right and then a left.

“That son needs a good smear of eczema cream, on the insides of his knees and elbows, twice a day.

“This daughter likes her oatmeal heated in the microwave for 2 minutes, but for that daughter–only 1 minute.

“This son will only eat his grilled cheese with ketchup, but that son likes it plain.”

Moving all the details of my mothering life from my gray matter to a white page left me somewhat awe-struck. In my head–so many details, so much information, to keep this family going.

The heart of the family, pumping new life, day by day.

4 comments

  1. Love it! Yesterday I was feeling under the weather and my husband wanted to let me sleep late and take over morning duty (which was very thoughtful of him). But as I was lying there in bed, I thought, I’ll have to explain to him what each of them wants for breakfast, then what to pack for lunch, what to make sure they have in their backpacks… What would take me 20 minutes to accomplish, would take him over an hour! And that made me feel VERY useful,needed,talented,etc 😁

  2. oh Rochel I HOPE you let him do it.

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