By Brooklyn Meek
Contributor

In the morning most people wake up to their alarm clocks or phones; I wake up to the sweet sound of my 7-month-old son’s cries. If he could express himself in words, he’d say 5:30 a.m. is the perfect time to get up. Most college kids press snooze, but my alarm clock is a mixture of giggles, crying, and silly baby noises. As I stumble out of bed into his nursery, I find him eagerly waiting. The routine starts with a bottle and a change of diapers, followed by a selection of the day’s outfit for him.

Brooklyn Meek and her son

Once the baby is settled, reality hits hard. Looking into the sink you’ll find yesterday’s bottles in desperate need of attention. The bottles need washing, sterilizing, and organizing, a repetitive but necessary task. While the baby is still occupied playing, and the day’s still young, it’s time to attempt catching up on schoolwork. The pages of notes mixed with teething toys creates a scene that describes the balancing act I perform daily. As I hear my son giggle, it’s a reminder that even amid my academics, the joy of motherhood persists.

I give my son another bottle, and the clock strikes the hour to go to school. I gather my textbooks, give him a kiss, and I’m off to campus. This is the most struggling time for me because even though I know he is in good hands my heart still aches to have him in mine. As I sit through lectures and quizzes, I think about how my education will set a good standard for him.

Returning home marks the transition from student to mother once again. The baby is eager for attention and playtime. I sit and play with him to relax a little before the nightly duties begin. Once he is in a calm state it’s time to hit the books again. During this time homework takes precedence; as I strive to meet deadlines, my son’s babbling is the background noise.

I start my evening to-do list with his bath. After a nice warm bath, I get him ready for bed as I go through his nighttime routine: new set of pajamas, reading his favorite book, and feeding and cleaning. Now that he is content once again, I can finally start on dinner and eat. Once we are both fed it is time to put him down for the night. A combination of shushing and rocking and about 40 minutes later, he is finally peacefully sleeping.

As the night deepens, the tasks persist. The dirty dishes are piled up in the sink waiting to be conquered, the laundry needs to be ran, and it’s my only time to clean up the house. I tackle these tasks reluctantly. After the housework is done, I can jump into one final study session before I go to sleep. If I’m lucky and have none I use this time to relax and take some time for myself; as a mother, these times are few and far between.

The clock says midnight, and exhaustion becomes a companion. As I finally crawl into bed, I reflect on the day’s challenges. The weight of my responsibilities lingers into the quiet of the night. Although the path I’m on may not be the easiest, motherhood has been the most rewarding thing in my life. Being a student and mother, I hope for a brighter future for both me and my child. Tomorrow will bring its own set of challenges, but I embrace them knowing who I’m doing it for.

Brooklyn Meek is a business student at NorthWest Arkansas Community College.