Growing up, I often didn't realize what motherhood was really like and all that it entailed. After all, raising kids isn't too hard, right? WRONG!!
Motherhood is messy. It's exhausting. It is draining and thankless and never-ending. Just as you think you have gotten it all figured out and life is smooth sailing, one of your children will vomit all over the rug, or one will punch another one in the face (this hasn't happened to me... yet... the punching, not the vomiting - that has happened... a little too often for my taste... and not just by the 2-legged children... but more often by the 4-legged ones... but I digress...).
My point is, motherhood is hard. There isn't one perfect way of doing it, if there was, motherhood (and fatherhood) would come with an instruction manual. But it doesn't. Every mother is different. Every child is different. Two women can have the same basic event happen to them, but you know what? It's still not the exact same because each woman will have a different personality and a different outlook and therefore will EXPERIENCE it... differently.
Our goal as mothers should be to raise upstanding citizens that care for others, that have passion and a drive for something, that can stand on their own two feet in life, and make something of themselves. Our goal shouldn't be to "outdo" the mother next to us. It shouldn't be all about "keeping up with the Jones'"... sometimes what the Jones' have isn't what is best for your family. Stay true to yourself and who you are.
As mothers, we should be encouraging one another. We should be supporting one another. We should be uplifting and mentoring and just being there for each other! Instead, I see passive aggressive Facebook and "Mommy Board" posts or not-so-passive-but-just-plain-ol'-aggressive posts tearing each other down and lifting ourselves up.
So whether you are a mother of 1 or a mother of 20, a cottage dwelling mom or a mansion dwelling mom, an organic eating mom or a food allergy mom, a gifted student mom or a special needs mom, a stay-at-home mom or a work-outside-the-home mom... YOU ROCK!
You do you, I'll do me, and lets just agree that we are all doing the best we can for our children and families. And if we see one of us struggling, let's lend them a hand and maybe supply them with a coffee to make it through the tough times. If we see a mom do something that we would "never let our children do" (like letting our son walk into a cement pillar face first and bounce off of it), remember that you don't know the full story (like the fact that I have told him countless times to watch where he is walking and that I decided that maybe the consequence of running into said cement pillar would be the best way for him to learn to walk with his head facing forward and his eyes open). We have all been there and I'm sure one of our kids is just waiting to throw us a curve ball just as we get a little comfortable.
Enjoy your children. Sing songs from Frozen with them... belt it out! Turn on a bubble machine and dance!
Happy Mother's Day!
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