Let me clarify…being a GOOD mom is HARD! It really is! It’s 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and you don’t get PTO. You’re constantly concerned whether you’re doing the right thing for your children and making the best decisions for their interest. My friend Ashley Curry gave me the very best advice ever…”you do what you gotta do to get through the day.” This gives me peace. Some days my mommy skills are on fire, and other days I could do things better. Ultimately, I (and when I say I, I really mean “we” because Mike and I completely split the kid responsibilities) want to raise healthy, happy, kind kids who become responsible adults who contribute positively to society. That’s not too tall of an order, right?!
Yes, motherhood is hard, but it is the greatest gift on Earth! For those women who choose to have children and are granted the gift to become mothers, it really is the best gift ever. I always knew I wanted to have children, BUT I didn’t want to have children until I was ready to have children. This is because I know that being a good mom is hard work and really shouldn’t happen until you’re willing to be selfless and put others before yourself.
Honestly, one of my goals in life is to be a great mom, but that’s a terrible goal. How do you measure mom greatness?! It’s impossible to measure, it’s hard to create objectives, and it’s hard to define. I have since set aside my “great mom” goal, and I just strive to show my children how to be the very best version of themselves. Truthfully, there are some things that we are killing it as parents! My kids are relatively calm, well-behaved, kind and pleasant to be around. In some other areas, I need to go to a mom class on how to get your kids to try a wider variety of foods other than grilled cheese, Chick-fil-A kids meals, cucumbers and carrots. Boom! Could be worse, because my kids eat cucumbers and carrots every day- I’ll take that as a W. I also need a mom class on how to keep your kids in their bed at night and stop climbing into mine like a ninja. The other night the boys fell asleep in Fischer’s bed together, and I definitely thought, “hmmm…maybe they can just sleep and snuggle each other and they’ll try and stay out of our bed!” This is probably not the correct answer, but when you’re tired and desperate for a full night of uninterrupted sleep, you think outside of the box.
What I’m saying is that we can’t beat ourselves up. We do the best we can every day, and we love on our children. Let’s judge other parents less and high 5 each other more. Everyone has their own struggles. Shoot, look at me. If someone saw me at the grocery store they would have no idea that I’m fighting cancer. We all have our inner battles that we are fighting whether it’s happening to us, a family member or to our children. Let’s lift each other up and agree to try our best. So enjoy this day that is dedicated to you. Enjoy the beautiful weather on this Mother’s Day…well, at least it’s beautiful here in GA! I got to enjoy some porch sitting yesterday and today with my family- nothing better than that. Cheers to the mommas! Give yourself a high 5, and have a drink! Motherhood is the coolest club that I have ever been a part of.
(side note: The book I’m currently reading is For the Right Reasons by Sean Lowe from the Bachelor and the Bachelorette. If you like the Bachelor series and you are up for a book that references the benefit of having a strong Christian faith, then I recommend it. I may even blog about it when I’m finished. Don’t hold your breath…I’m a slow reader, so it may be awhile before I complete it.)