Running on Fumes
Verse 1
The coffee’s cold, the laundry’s piled,
I’ve been awake for miles and miles.
Packing lunches, kissing scrapes,
Trying hard not to lose my faith.
I’m the keeper of the schedules,
The medicine and midnight cries.
The one who sees a fever coming
Just by looking in their eyes.
Pre-Chorus
And I know I should be thankful,
I know I’m not alone.
But some days gratitude and exhaustion
Both feel heavy in my bones.
Chorus
Being the default parent is hard,
It’s carrying the whole damn world
Inside your heart.
It’s remembering the little things
No one else can see,
Holding every broken piece
And making it look easy.
And yes, I’m grateful for the hands
That help me when they can…
But that doesn’t change
How tired I am.
I’m still standing.
Still loving.
Even when I’m running on fumes.
Verse 2
I know it’s beautiful, I know it’s blessed,
But beautiful things can leave you a mess.
I pour from cups already dry,
Wipe my tears and wonder why.
Why we praise the strong ones
Until they start to break.
Why asking for a moment’s rest
Feels like a selfish thing to take.
Bridge
So to the moms still carrying mountains,
Still smiling through the ache,
You’re allowed to be exhausted
And still be grateful every day.
Those two truths can live together,
Neither one is wrong.
You’re not weak for feeling weary—
You’ve just been strong for far too long.
Final Chorus
Being the default parent is hard,
But look at all the love you’ve grown.
Tiny hands and sleepy smiles,
A house that’s made a home.
And when you’re overwhelmed,
When you’re barely making it through…
I see you.
And I hope someday
You see your strength
The way your children see you.
