I live in Palisades Park, New Jersey, raising two daughters.

The older one is five years old, and the younger one is three.

In this neighborhood, I encounter moms pushing strollers several times a day.

It strangely comforts me to see everyone quietly enduring the daily life with their kids.

Raising two kids feels like an endless battle with two little people all day long.

They wake up before six in the morning.

"I'm hungry!"

One day they want oatmeal, another day they want bananas, and another day they want rice.

If I'm even a little late, they throw tantrums, cry, and fight.

A day that starts like this feels like an endless run.

Diapers, snacks, toy organization, reading storybooks, putting them down for naps, picking them up from daycare, preparing lunch, cleaning again...

There are many times when I feel like I can't breathe, not knowing how the day has passed.

But there is a time during the day that I look forward to the most.

It's the kids' nap time.

Three years old, five years old.

These two still take naps.

At most, it's an hour and a half, at least, it's thirty minutes.

What do I do during that short time?

I also take a nap.

And I do it very desperately.

Napping is not just a nap.

It's a reboot for me to come back to life.

Nights spent waking up repeatedly to the kids' cries, a sore back from bending down to pick up toys,

and nerves worn out from constantly hearing "Mom, Mom!"...

All of these things cannot be completely recovered with just one nap,

but a brief nap becomes a time that returns me to being 'me' instead of just 'Mom'.

At first, I felt guilty about taking a nap.

"Shouldn't I be cleaning during this time?"

"I need to do the dishes, laundry, and grocery shopping..."

But forcing myself to stay awake with those thoughts and trying to get through the afternoon with a tired body and mind only made it harder.

I became more irritable, treated the kids more sharply, and

eventually ended up feeling guilty before bed, thinking, "I didn't do well today either."

So I made a resolution.

When the kids are sleeping, it's my time to sleep too.

It's okay if the dishes pile up a bit.

I can do the laundry tomorrow.

Cleaning can be a little dirty; it will get messy again soon anyway.

But my mental and emotional condition, if I don't recover it now, the evening will fall apart.

When I wake up from a nap, it's amazing how my thoughts become organized.

During afternoon snack time, I can smile while peeling apples,

and my voice carries warmth when reading storybooks.

Some might say.

"You should exercise, study English, or invest in yourself during that time."

If I could do that, I would want to as well.

But with two kids and wrestling with them for over 12 hours a day,

I realize that such productive investments are only possible after getting enough rest.

So today, I enjoy my nap again.

The afternoon sunlight in Palisades Park shines into the living room, and the two kids are quietly asleep without a sound.

I quietly lie down on the bed and close my eyes.

This is my time to catch my breath to become 'Mom' again.