The Weight of Many Roles
This Saturday morning I am sitting with the reality of what it means to be a mom, a wife, a principal, and a doctoral student all at once. Each of these roles matters deeply to me, but balancing them is exhausting. My family deserves my presence, my students and staff deserve my best leadership, my partner deserves my time and attention, and my doctoral work deserves my full focus. Most days it feels like there is not enough of me to go around.
There are assignments waiting for me, emails that need attention, children who want me to be with them fully, and a partner who deserves more than the leftover pieces of my energy. The truth is that I cannot give one hundred percent to everything at the same time. That leaves me wrestling with guilt. Am I falling short at home when I pour into my school? Am I neglecting my studies when I choose to be with my kids? Am I too distracted to show up fully as a wife when the work never seems to end? The questions linger even when I know I am doing all that I can.
What grounds me in moments like this is the reminder that these roles are not in competition, even when they feel like they are. Being a mom shapes the way I lead with empathy. Being a wife reminds me to keep relationships at the center of my life. Being a principal informs the research questions I am pursuing in my doctoral work. And being a student keeps me humble, always learning and growing in ways that serve both my family and my school community. The threads are woven together, even if some days the weave looks messy.
It is hard to admit that I cannot do it all. But perhaps the strength is not in doing everything perfectly but in showing up honestly and giving what I can to the people and work that I love. Today that means writing this reflection, spending some time with my children, making space for my partner, and later carving out quiet time to tackle the next assignment.
If you are also carrying the weight of many roles, know that you are not alone. It is heavy work, but it is meaningful work. And maybe that reminder is enough to keep us moving forward one day at a time.
