We're a month away from school starting again... and if we're being honest, we're feeling it.

Summer has a way of stretching us in ways we don't always expect. The routines are gone, therapies and school supports take a break, and suddenly we're carrying even more of the mental load. While everyone else talks about vacations and lazy summer days, many medical moms are simply trying to make it through one day at a time.

In this episode, we're checking in with each other and reflecting on what this summer has really looked like. We're talking about the moments we've survived, the expectations we've had to let go of, and the reality that sometimes the tank is running on empty. Kari shares what this season has looked like as a single mom raising medically complex kids, balancing every appointment, every schedule, every meal, every meltdown, and every moment without the built-in breaks that school provides. With a month still left before the first day of school, she's opening up about the exhaustion, the feelings of defeat, and the weight that can come with carrying so much for so long.

This isn't an episode filled with perfect solutions—it's an honest conversation about a season that can feel incredibly isolating. If you're counting down the days until school starts again, feeling guilty that summer hasn't looked the way you imagined, or wondering if anyone else is barely hanging on, you're not alone.

Whether you're parenting with a partner, solo, or somewhere in between, we hope this episode reminds you that it's okay to acknowledge when things are hard. You don't have to love every season of medical parenting to be an incredible mom. Sometimes surviving is enough. And sometimes the greatest gift we can give each other is the reminder that none of us has to survive it alone.