She was completely “worn out, tired, frustrated and overwhelmed.” Then she came back to this letter…

For those who haven’t done it, it’s easy to hold the misconception that being a stay-at-home mom is a walk in the park full of playtime and cuddles. But soon after you dive into the crazy beautiful (and often ugly) world that is motherhood, you quickly discover there’s no clocking out, no paid vacation time and rarely even a lunch break.

The under-appreciation for the insane workload placed on mothers is often what leads to the “worn out, tired, frustrated and overwhelmed” wife that one husband details in the viral letter below.

Kate Douglas‎ had just made it to the end of a very hard day, and her husband could see the look of utter defeat in her eyes. Kate decided to leave for a few hours to collect herself, and when she came back, much to her surprise, she found the note below written by her husband. Since it was posted on Facebook by Love What Matters earlier this week and shared by media outlets like TODAY Parents & PopSugar Moms, this heartwarming letter has been shared by thousands of moms who have been touched by its powerful message of love and gratitude:

So I had a hard day with my 2 boys yesterday when my husband got home I was defeated. They won. I went out for a few hours and he posted this. ALL queens need to know they are appreciated.

‘After a hard day at work there is nothing better than clocking off. Some days I get home and see my beautiful wife worn out, tired, frustrated and overwhelmed by the challenges of being a mum. Unlike me she has no set hour to clock off or rewarded with overtime or bonuses for all the extra work and effort she has put in during the day. She doesn’t accumulate sick leave, Annual leave or long service, no weekly supper or weekend, no looking forward to a public holiday to shorten her week. On the 3.5.11 she clocked onto being a mum, on the 6.8.14 she started her overtime shift. 2 boys, 2 boys that never stop, that challenges every aspect of being a mother, she has never asked for a pay raise or looked for another job. So even though today was hard and you feel unappreciated or unsure if you made a difference in their lives this is how your day really went …

Your sons woke from their nice warm beds that have been lovingly washed and made by you. They ate breakfast that was organized a week ago when you wrote out the shopping list. You packed a lunchbox for 1 to go to daycare which you questioned “is it healthy enough, will he still be hungry’ whilst balancing another on your leg, arm, shoulders. You dropped off at daycare where you sat for an hour comforting him because he was having a bad day, letting him know mum will always be there. You returned home where you spent a day with a 2 year old, holding conversations and toilet training, teaching him how to make his way from toddler to a big boy. You put him down in his bed for a nap making sure he had enough energy to make it through the rest of the day, despite knowing you don’t. You spent your limited time between resting, house work, house work and house work. After all this and little rest you picked up from daycare where you took them to appointments, making sure they are as healthy as can be, Made sure they had dinner, had your first adult chat at dinner, the whole time still being a mum and solving the worlds issues.

So when you see a bad day, I see an amazing women who never calls in sick, never quits, never turns her back on the hard days and who has the power to go to bed knowing it will happen all again tomorrow, You are an amazing and fabulous mother, Even though it doesn’t seem like it, you are the greatest thing in these boys lives and we love you, for everything you do.’