This is a guest post by World Mom’s Blog founder/editor Jennifer Burden.  I had to pleasure of meeting Jennifer in person at the Shot@Life Summit in January and have loved working with her on Shot@Life as well as World Mom’s Blog.

Photo above of Jen Burden, founder/editor of World Mom’s Blog, mother of two and advocate of Shot@Life.  Jennifer is the reason I became an advocate for Shot@Life.  She found my blog a year ago and asked me to write and edit for World Mom’s Blog.  We have been friends ever since! 

“I’m a mom, silly.  I don’t have time for that.”

There are always a million reasons not to do something, and at the same time a million reasons to do something.

I often feel like I want to do it all – be a stay-at-home mom and save the world in a single bound…what I’ve found is that it comes down to selectively picking and choosing the things I make time outside of my kids for.

For example, I recently, for the first time, left both my children, now 4 years old and 11 months old, with someone other than myself or my husband for a full day and a half, to attend the UN Foundation’s Volunteer Summit in Washington, DC for their Shot@Life campaign.

Perhaps the guilt of leaving them with someone else was entirely erased by the fact that I was doing this to help other children around the world who desperately needed it and who don’t have the priviliges that my children enjoy – like access to health care and vaccinations.

So, before I knew it, I was (over-) packing three bags and hitting the road.Who was going to watch my kids while I was at the Summit?  My husband had to work out of town, but he found a way to join us in the initial car ride down.  On Monday morning, the first day of the conference, I was on my own.  Just me and the girls…

Finding babysitters before my departure was challenging, but with a lot of asking around, possible.  My cousin was amazingly available on Monday, and I used a babysitter recommendation from a dear friend on Tuesday.   Oh, and did I mention that I’m still breastfeeding?  That was another thing to juggle – but I kept trying to remember – to focus on the million reasons to do something!!

But, it wasn’t smooth sailing. My older daughter had a virus on Monday, and I, too, struggled with a stomach bug up until an hour before I was to speak.  But, on the flip side, celeb pediatrician and fellow Shot@Life Champion, Dr. Ari Brown, (you know – the Baby 411 book?) delightfully checked out my child in the comforts of our hotel room, which was a real bonus and a real stress reducer – one for the baby book!

It’s easy to say, “No, not me.  I can’t do that. I can’t help. I’m too busy.”  I know because I’ve done it before.  And, if you’re anything like me, you may perceive it difficult to find a way sometimes.

But, when I think about the women in Mozambique who travel over 15 miles to provide their children with life-saving immunizations, was organizing my own 4 hour journey to DC with a 4 year old and a breastfeeding 10 month old in tow in my cushy minivan with the 90s station playing and with access to rest stops that provide not only running water, but also hot green tea and food along the way REALLY that difficult?

Nope.

I’m glad I joined the movement to save the lives of children in developing nations. I’m glad I focused on the positives of making this happen, even as a busy mom.

Don’t forget, this movement is not just mine.  It can be made yours, too.

Think of the mothers in Mozambique and the futures of their children.  Let drain from you what holds you back.  Embrace the movement!

Join me in giving more children a shot at smiling. Did you know only $20 fully vaccinates a child against the 4 leading causes of death for children under 5 years old?

Join me in giving more global mothers a shot at mothering. Search deep within yourself and find only the reasons to help. Make it happen!