Editor's note: This article was originally published on (in)courage. It has been modified and republished here with permission.

I closed the door to my temporary hiding place and sat down wearily next to the mound of dirty laundry. Tears welled up in my eyes. Suddenly away from the constant bickering between kids, messy rooms, and constant questions and demands that only "mom" seemed to be able to fulfill, I longed to just be able to withdraw for a few moments of quiet "¦ of rest. My mind raced. I wrestled with feeling like I could never keep up, too many balls in the air to juggle, so many needs, constant challenges, endless responsibilities.

His voice whispered to me. "No one asked you to carry it all. Lay it down. Life is not about what you do, it's about who you are." More tears.

I heard quiet whispers outside the door. Then, chubby little fingers pushed a note underneath, complete with a pencil. I could hear them breathing - waiting for my response. Quiet anticipation. Reading their sweet handwritten words quickly penciled across a plain white page seemed to soothe my heart.

The note read, "Are you going to come out?" Complete with a "yes" box and a "no" box.

I admit, I thought of checking the "no" box. No, I may not come out, I don't really want to come out, and not for a very long time! But my heart nudged me toward the other box. I marked a big "X" in the "yes" box and pushed it back under the door.

I heard giggles from outside and low voices. "Um, Mom, we love you." More tears came and then, a smile. I took a deep breath before I opened the door.

The truth is - life is just tough some days

We are pulled in many directions. We get tired. We feel alone. We wonder if all that we do really matters in this big scheme of life.

But the truth is also this - we are blessed to have a God who cares enough to whisper His words deep into our soul. We are blessed to have family and friends who come alongside us, in all of our imperfections. We are blessed to be loved.

Life is never about living without a care in the world. Life is not a "to do" list waiting to be completed. Life is about people. Life is about character.

Moms, we may not be perfect - but we are destined to make a difference in this world, by raising our kids to know what's most important. And God is at our side. He is for us. He is with us - always - even in the laundry room.