When I was 8 years old, my mom started college. She went from being a stay-at-home mom, devoting all of her attention to my brother and me, to dropping us off at friends' houses in the morning so she could make it to her 8 a.m. classes before our school started, and spent evenings at the dinner table catching up on her homework.

And the 8-year-old selfish me hated her for it. She had less time for us. Sometimes we actually had to ride the bus to school (which was new and terrifying at the time), and I still remember the nights when I was supposed to be in bed, but would walk out of my room to find her crying over her calculus homework.

I didn’t understand why her degree was worth that.

But now, I’m somehow in her shoes.

Lucky for me (or maybe not so), my son was only 4 months old when I went back to school. He is not going to remember me rocking him as I beg him to just go to sleep so that I can finish this paper before its due date (that is two hours away). He’s not going to remember the times I’ve left him to be snuggled by someone else or the first words that I didn't get to hear because I was somewhere else. But I had to decide to make sacrifices now for a better tomorrow.

And for the first time in my life, I had to make that decision not only for me but for someone else. Because ultimately, I cared more about his well-being than my own.

I am definitely not the only person who has faced this. But I know how lonely it can feel.

This goes out to all of the other young moms out there, who are trying to readjust to new priorities, balance your lives, and take care of your little one in the best way that you can. I’m telling you the things that I know I have so desperately wanted to hear these past few months and the words that I wish I could go back in time and say to my own mom.

You’ve got this.

I know, it’s exhausting. I know that now, time has become such a precious commodity because you have a beautiful, tiny human reminding you how quickly it can slip through your fingers. Two hours spent in class are two hours that you will never have back.

I know how guilty you feel when you desperately wish your little guy would go to sleep because you have a presentation tomorrow and you haven’t even begun to research your topic.

Stop feeling guilty.

Of course, you should treasure the moments that you have now, but don’t forget what you are working for. As cheesy as it sounds, keep your eye on the prize. Don't forget about the bigger picture.

Don’t forget that you aren’t just doing this for them, you still deserve the achievements too. Having a child does not mean that you should put your life on hold. It doesn’t mean that you should stop chasing your dreams. Both you and your little one deserve for you to be the best person that you can be, to have the confidence that comes with success, and the joy of doing what you love.

Stop second-guessing yourself.

You are making the right decisions. You are an awesome student and an even better mom. You are a living example in front of your little one's eyes of perseverance, self-worth, and determination.

You are not alone.

There is someone else out there who knows how it feels to be stretched so thin. Someone else out there knows the terrible cocktail of the raw emotions of new parenthood, the stress of midterms, and the added ingredient of buckets of caffeine. They are out there questioning their choices and worrying that they are not headed down the right path. But, it WILL be worth it in the end. Always remember that.

Yours,

A mushy mom just trying to survive grad school and teething