Between Chaos and Chai: A Working Mom’s Morning

4th August 2025

I always imagined mornings to be calm, peaceful — a gentle start to a new day. But for working moms, mornings are often anything but that. They’re a whirlwind of chaos, urgency, and a never-ending to-do list.

Today was one of those mornings. No matter how hard I tried, something kept slipping through the cracks. Monday blues are real, but when combined with the mountain of tasks — packing lunchboxes, feeding kids, giving medicines, cleaning up — that blue quickly spirals into chaos. And as the clock keeps ticking, and you realize you're running late again, a quiet thought creeps in: What is all this for? Is it even worth it?

I often think back to my childhood in a small town, where mornings were an entirely different experience — full of warmth and meaning. Life lessons from elders, a steaming cup of chai, watching the sunrise, strolling in the garden, and plucking flowers for the morning puja. There was rhythm and grace to those hours.

Now, living in a metro surrounded by brick and mortar, I find myself missing that softness. I won’t entirely blame the city, though. I’ve never really been an early riser — and yet, waking up at 6:30 a.m. feels reasonable enough. So how did things get so hectic?

Despite the noise and rush, my heart still longs for quieter mornings — the kind where peace takes precedence over pace. As I sit and write this, I can't help but wonder if all this chaos is trying to tell me something.

Maybe... just maybe, it's time for a break.
Maybe it’s time for a vacation.