Melanie Lynskey had to miss the Emmys to stay home with her sick kiddo

As moms, we’re accustomed to sometimes taking the backseat. And inevitably, if sickness is going to strike, it’ll happen at the most inopportune time. For “Yellowjackets” actress Melanie Lynskey, the inevitability of motherhood struck in the days leading up to her planned attendance at the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

“So my little one came home from school on Friday and wanted to have a cuddle with mama,” Lynskey wrote in an Instagram post. “As we were cuddling and talking about her day, I noticed she was really warm. After the cuddles, we did a Covid test, and sure enough, she was positive. Eventually, so was I.”

The 46-year-old actress wrote that while she knew skipping this year’s awards for the health of other attendees was the right thing to do, it wasn’t without disappointment on her end.

“For many years, these types of amazing events were not a part of my life, and to finally be invited to the party and not get to go is painful,” she continued in the post.

While Lynskey took the time to cry about her situation, her daughter stepped in to try and make things better by drawing a picture and reminding Lynskey of how loved she is and what’s most important in life.

“I did have a bit of a cry when my test came up positive, and was sitting despondently on the stairs when my daughter handed me this,” Lynskey said. “One page says that she loves me, and the other page says that Dada loves me, and then there’s a mama snail and baby snails (???) Anyway. It reminded me of all that is important in my world. I would choose cuddling my feverish little one every time, even if it means missing a night like tonight.”

And that realization is the inevitability of motherhood, too!