Once upon a time, there was a girl who naively assumed that the world was preparing a surprise for her. And it was—but not quite the kind she had imagined. There were surprises, alright—plenty of them—but in her innocence, she thought they were all going to be exciting.
She was diligently preparing herself, just as all the women in her life had advised. The elderly—those wise souls who had supposedly seen it all—told her to get ready for the future the way they had once prepared themselves. The younger women, more modern and ambitious, added their own upgrades to this preparation plan. Naturally, she took it all seriously. So, she worked hard.
Every morning, she woke up early, ready to absorb knowledge from every possible source—educational institutions, family stories, relatives’ experiences, friends’ insights, and, of course, her own personal adventures. She felt smart. She felt powerful. She believed she could rule the world.
She was convinced she could be the ultimate woman: a perfect wife and mother, a successful career woman who kept everything in its rightful place, all while maintaining her happiness, health, and sanity.
Of course, she was ready. That’s what the women in her circle had told her.
Note: She didn’t realize that the elderly were, at best, touched by amnesia—or, at worst, Alzheimer’s. And the younger women? Well, they were still recovering from their own untreated traumas, stuck somewhere between forgetting and outright denial.
Anyway, back to this innocent, naïve girl’s story…
The first few years of her journey didn’t go exactly as expected. But she figured that was normal—after all, she was on her own now, without the safety net of her family. Well, who needed it anyway? She could build her own.
As the years passed, she grew accustomed to the insecurity. It wasn’t ideal, but she felt strong—undefeatable, even. Maybe a little lonely, though. So why not fall in love?
Enter the guy.
Suddenly, her world was flooded with emotions. So many emotions. But that was fine—at least she had found her other half. And to manage all these overwhelming feelings, she did what seemed logical at the time: she trimmed down a few of her dreams. Or, well… quite a few.
But it was okay. She had him now. One day, he would surely recognize all the sacrifices she made for him—how she helped him chase his dreams and put their future family’s dreams before hers.
Note: No one asked her to give up her dreams. She just did it anyway.
Oh, the miraculous joy of bringing life into the world—wrapped in excruciating pain, exhaustion, and the distinct feeling that her body was being ripped in half.
But she did it.
And just as she was catching her breath, barely recovering from the trauma, someone casually suggested, “So… when’s the next one?”
Because, of course, babies are a blessing. And if one blessing is good, why not gather a few more?
Then, suddenly, there was no time for work. No time to build a career.
But don’t be mistaken—she was working. Oh, she was working.
She was the mom. The super mom.
A full-time nurse, doctor, teacher, driver, cleaner, psychiatrist, herbalist, negotiator, judge, lawyer, and countless other roles stitched into one unpaid, never-ending job. Day shifts and night shifts have no overtime pay, no sick days, and no retirement plan.
But hey, at least she got paid in hugs …right?
Then, the house was empty again.
The husband was at work all day and needed to rest at night. The kids were off chasing their own dreams, just like she once did.
She was still on call, of course. A remote worker of sorts is needed only when necessary. Mom, how do I…? Mom, can you…? Mom, I forgot to…! But only if they needed her.
Alright then. No problem. A career was officially off the wish list.
But there were so many exciting things she could do now!
It’s time to gather friends, sip coffee, and live peacefully.
Right?
Well, kinda…
Just as she was about to embrace this peaceful new chapter, another uninvited guest barged in—pre-menopause.
No warning, no polite knock at the door. Just a sudden wave of hot flashes, unpredictable moods, sleepless nights, and a metabolism that apparently decided to retire before she did.
Hormones? A chaotic mess.
Patience? Hanging by a thread.
Energy? On permanent vacation.
And just when she thought she had finally figured life out, her body turned around and said, “Oh, you thought we were done with surprises?”
Dana Obeid
