Viral Post Perfectly Nails The Exhaustion Of Struggling As A Working Mom

The story she shared struck a chord with readers

Kristina Kuzmic is a popular blogger, YouTube personality, and winner of the reality competition “Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star.” But life wasn’t always so full of success for the mom of three. In a recent Facebook post, she shares a story about a time when things weren’t nearly as sunny, and the comments are full of people who can relate.

Kuzmic explains that years ago, she held multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet, and one of them was waitressing. She describes herself as “pitiful and struggling in every way possible” but didn’t want to make it known to anyone else. “I didn’t want to bring my pitifulness to work, so I would show up to each shift with a fake smile on my face (which is EXHAUSTING; faking is so ridiculously exhausting!).”

Holding it in all day and pretending to be happy took a lot out of her so at the end of her shift, she would order what she calls the restaurant’s signature flatbread, which she got for 50% off with her employee discount. Kuzmic would take the dinner to her car and sob as she ate it on her drive home.

“The flat bread became my grieving buddy, my comfort food. And by the time I pulled up to my little apartment, there were only a few bites left, always soaked in my tears,” she writes.

A few days ago, she had dinner with a friend at that same restaurant and ordered — you guessed it — her “grieving buddy.” But this time, her flatbread wasn’t accompanied by tears and feelings of hopelessness. “Because life is no longer pitiful,” she says.

She ends the post with a message to her readers. “If you’re sobbing alone in your car, it’s not permanent. I know it feels like it is in the moment. I know it hurts and sucks, and I know you feel stuck. But you’re not. Hold on, but don’t hold still. Keep moving forward. Baby steps toward a new chapter of your story and a non-fake smile. You’ll get there.”

Kuzmic’s story touched a chord with others who are struggling to make ends meet and don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.

This literally was me last night, crying alone in my car as everything around me is falling apart. This life definitely has not been an easy one and I’m still hopeful that eventually, before I die, that it will get better.

Thank you for your reality. I used to eat the free popcorn that my company provided, for lunch. Single moms do extraordinary things to survive.

I am that girl and have been for years since I became a single mom of 3. I cry every night after they go to bed. I can’t support them all on my own and I feel hopeless.

You have no idea how much your stories give me hope. I’m slowly making upward progress for me and my daughter… it’s hard. I cry, I stay up late and get up early and put on my happy face. Some days it’s harder than others, sometimes I’m a great mom, sometimes I’m only a somewhat ok mom, but every day I do my best to be the best mom I can be… one day I will have everything I need/want, one day I won’t have to struggle this hard… and that’s how I live day to day.

I’m falling so far behind. If I get another job, I will need a babysitter which I can’t afford. But I can’t afford rent either. I hope I can find a way out of this. I’m not sure what others do.

And some gave hope by sharing stories similar to Kuzmic’s.

I’m a single mom. I’ve been through hell like you. But all of that was just temporary. Be strong. It’s the only option for us. And eventually things will get better and better. Patience my dear.

Thank you so much for sharing this. I feel like I hit a point in my life similar to yours yet different circumstances. Keeping positive and remembering it’s only temporary.

The comments are also full of gratitude for Kuzmic’s honesty in sharing her struggles because it helps them know they’re not alone. Judging by all the readers sharing similar stories, that’s even more the case.