Katherine Heigl Latest Instagram Post Captures the Highs & Lows of Being a Working Mom

Julie Sprankles

Click here to read the full article.

Make no mistake — raising tiny humans can be tough. But while we all probably joke occasionally about needing a vacation, time away can be pretty difficult, too. Katherine Heigl is opening up about being a working mom and, in the process, capturing the all-too-real highs and lows that come with being separated from your loved ones.

When Heigl is home, she undoubtedly has a lot on her hands. She and husband Josh Kelley have three kids: Naleigh, 10, Adalaide, 7, and Joshua Jr., 2. For all the chaos that undoubtedly comes from having three young kids in the house, though, Heigl is the first to admit she misses the chaos when she’s gone. And since she’s currently on location in Vancouver filming the new series Firefly Lane, she’s in the midst of an extended absence. “I imagine for most mothers of young children, 21 days away from their kids seems incomprehensible. It was for me too. Until my work puts me in a position where I must do it or give up the job opportunity,” Heigl shared on Instagram Sunday evening.

More from SheKnows

Then Heigl did the most relatable thing for a working mom — she confessed that having time alone is a puzzling dichotomy of good and bad. At first, she focused on putting her needs first and indulging in her favorite hobbies. Spoiler alert? It wasn’t enough. “The first week was kinda blissful. The second week wasn’t so bad either,” she said before confessing, “Last week…was too quiet. Lonely. Lacking.”

View this post on Instagram

I’ve been working in Vancouver for the last month without my family. School schedules and the complications of registration in a different country kept my kiddos home in Utah with @joshbkelley. I imagine for most mothers of young children 21 days away from their kids seems incomprehensible. It was for me too. Until my work puts me in a position where I must do it or give up the job opportunity. I made the best of it I could by FaceTiming everyday and using the hours alone, when not at work, to pamper myself. To put my needs first cause I could. To indulge my favorite hobbies. To use the quiet and the solitude to tune into myself and get clear. I’m not gonna lie. The first week was kinda blissful. The second week wasn’t so bad either. Last week…was too quiet. Lonely. Lacking. The noise, the laughter, the companionship, the chaos arrived yesterday right in time to save me from the abyss of too much me time. I have found the inlets, mountains, forests, cliffs and mists here to be filled with magic. To pulse with a power and positivity deeply unique to this place and I was dying to share it with my family. Today was our first full day here together. Vancouver did not disappoint. It seemed the clouds parted and gave way to the heavens just for us. And everyone else out by the waters edge. It seemed the wind stilled and the chill lifted making an outing to the surf a perfect idea. I’m so grateful to finally be able to share this special place with the loves of my life. Here’s to twelve days of making the most of Vancouver and each other. ❤️

A post shared by Katherine Heigl (@katherineheigl) on Oct 13, 2019 at 4:14pm PDT

Fortunately, Kelley and the kids were able to fly in over the weekend. “The noise, the laughter, the companionship, the chaos arrived yesterday right in time to save me from the abyss of too much me time,” wrote a relieved Heigl, sharing, “I have found the inlets, mountains, forests, cliffs and mists here to be filled with magic. To pulse with a power and positivity deeply unique to this place and I was dying to share it with my family. Today was our first full day here together. Vancouver did not disappoint.”

It’s such a strange thing, isn’t it? How, as parents, the need for time “off” or alone can sometimes be so strong it’s practically palpable — and yet, when we get it, we miss what we left behind. Some working mamas can’t avoid having to be away from their family while they make a living, and so they carry that ache and guilt with them every day. And some mamas don’t have the option of taking time for themselves, and you know what? That’s hard, too.

Happily for Heigl, she’s a mama who, for the moment, can just rest in the relief and joy of being with her favorite people. Or, as she wrote on Sunday, “I’m so grateful to finally be able to share this special place with the loves of my life. Here’s to twelve days of making the most of Vancouver and each other.”

Best of SheKnows

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.