I love being a mom .... o.k., I love being a mom 'most' of the time!! But let's be real!! There are days when it's just as the books and movies portray - where everything goes smoothly, everyone gets along great, and the joys are abundantly flowing!! And then there are those days where it's exhausting, you wonder what on earth is going on with them, and you are beyond ready for bedtime to arrive!!! Yup, that's the honest truth AND I wouldn't change it for the world!!
Being a mom is truly rewarding but there are times when I also feel like I lose who I am. It's on me that it happens and is mainly because I forget to value making time in the day for myself - remember yesterday's blog?!! It's easy to get caught up in all things kids, we try to portray the 'perfect' image on social media and to our friends, but the reality is that sometimes we feel like we're anything but the ideal parent!!!
As I continue to navigate this journey of parenthood I'm learning some important things. For one, I'm realizing that I don't have to be perfect, or anywhere close to it. My kids love me no matter whether I'm the 'Pinterest' mom or those I see on Facebook that post only the 'good' things that happen. They love time with me, the adventures we have, and the opportunity to just be a kid sometimes and watching t.v. Another thing I've learned is that I am still a person outside of being a mom and it's vital that I honor that. Blogging is one way that I grab 5 minutes, while my crafting and writing provide other outlets that help keep me sane. I am working on no longer feeling guilty for the time I take to do these and realize that at the end of the day, so long as my kids go to bed happy and fed, I've done a great job that day as mom!!
And so today I DARE you to look at your life and recognize where you are setting unrealistic pressure on yourself to be 'perfect'. Be honest, truly honest with this reflection and get down to the raw nitty gritty of it!! You see, it's only when we start to truly admit that we have our moments of feeling a failure, or like we're a disaster in the making, that we can then be real and give ourselves permission to simply be. Be a person, be a brother or a sister, be a wife, a parent ... but ultimately, BE YOU!!! Don't lose yourself in the parts of your life that are only one aspect of you!!
It's not easy being real and vulnerable AND it's needed!! Yup, I'm far from being the Pinterest making, organized, and social media worthy mom and that's o.k.! I'm learning to embrace it all, knowing my kids are growing amazingly well in spite of it!!!