Every mom knows the struggle of juggling a family life with accomplishing other goals. There are jobs to be done, errands to run, and completely reasonable desires that don't always fit neatly with having a young child.
Now imagine all of those stressors everyone faces, and then scale them all up to what the most iconic women's tennis player in history must be feeling.
Serena Williams has been wonderfully open about both the highs and lows of her experience as a first-time mother. Little Alexis Ohanian is the most adorable baby on Instagram at the moment, and you can tell that if Serena had a choice, she'd spend every second of every day with that ball of joy. But there is training to be done, endorsements to earn, and tournaments to win. More than almost any other woman on the planet, Serena is pulled in a million different directions on a daily basis.
Well, once again the tennis phenom is dishing about a recent rough patch. Scroll down to see both the brutal honesty and the words of support from fans.
No one's doubting for one second that Serena's not a brilliant mother.
Little Alexis only competes on Mommy's Instagram with photos of her from advertisements and competitions. To say this child isn't the center of Serena's world would be absurd.
But as adorable as that toddler is, Mommy is busy being a role model and dominating the sporting world.
Because c'mon, someone's got to pay for all those toys!
But that doesn't mean her work schedule isn't taking a toll on Serena.
It's not the first time Serena's been open about her struggles on social media, but this might be the most candid.
"Last week was not easy for me," she wrote in the emotional Instagram post. "Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom."
She continued:
“I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal.”
“It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby… We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be.”
Then the message really starts to hit home.
“However, that means although I have been with her every day of her life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be. Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes.”
But it ends on a note of positivity:
“I’m here to say: if you are having a rough day or week — it’s ok — I am, too!!! There’s always tomm!”
Serena's Instagram followers might just be the most wholesome support community ever.
Literally every message on the original post reads like this — there's not a negative word to be heard.
We suspect Serena's transparency has something to do with it. She's so willing to be honest about her struggles, other parents can't help but be supportive.
Some have even been inspired to share their own stories.
Internet comments aren't always the best place to find support and understanding, but sometimes it can be good to hear you're not alone.
No mom is an island. If you can relate to any of Serena's story, taking a quick scroll through these comments might be worth a few minutes of your time.
But to wrap up, we salute Serena for her honesty about the difficulties of motherhood, and for being such an inspiration both on and off the tennis court!
