May 7, 2021 My blog this week is dedicated to all the mommas out there. And I mean ALL the mommas, because as we know, mommas come in all shapes, sizes, and people. It’s a blessing that we can celebrate anyone who is a mom, a mommy, a mother, a momma. It’s a blessing to thank our second moms, our adopted moms, our grandparents/cousins/aunts who are moms, and our dads who serve as moms, too. It’s a time to honor our angel moms and the mother figures who may always be in our hearts, but are no longer here with us. Mother’s Day is a special day. It also can be a really complicated day, in so many ways. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I am really honest about my path as a mom, and I don’t intend to stop now. I really believe and also know that Mother’s Day is a time to give praise for all the joy that surrounding it, but it’s also a time to pray to help ease the pain that also can come with it.
If you are like me, Mother’s Day is also a double-edged sword in another way. I typically use this day that is supposed to celebrate me to dive deep into self-reflection. I ask myself the age-old question, “Am I a good mom? I mean, am I really?”.
Y’all. You know some of you do it, too. Why do we do this to ourselves on the day when it is supposed to be all about us?
I know my kids love me, but sometimes I wonder if they love their daddy just a little more. They always seem much more excited to see him. I know I am a present mom, but how many times this year have I answered their “Will you play with me, Mommy?” question with, “In a little while, Mommy is working (or insert: cleaning, making dinner, watching Law & Order SVU) right now.”? I know my children are really great kiddos, but they do some weird stuff that makes me shake my head and wonder where or who they learned THAT from. And no, it’s not their dad. It’s me. It’s totally me. PS. My husband is reading this blog and he only needs to know that he is what dreams are made of! LOL.
This is ridiculous, but it’s normal – I hope. So here’s my message to all the moms and all the mom-figures out there reading this today. This weekend, let’s drop the judgment and self-recriminations. Let’s lean into who we are and have confidence that at the end of the day, the children who have made us moms or look to us as moms love us for who we are and not who we think we should be. They love us like God loves us. We, too, are wonderfully made.
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
Psalm 139: 13-14
To that end, let’s celebrate –
- The moms who have it all together. Not just on Facebook or Insta, but the ones who legit get dressed every morning and put makeup on and do not accidentally send gifts in for Teacher Appreciation Week at their daughter’s school THE WEEK BEFORE it is actually happening because they only skimmed the email rather than reading it. Spoiler Alert: that was me.
- The moms falling a little (or a lot) apart at the seams. Your babies love you regardless of what you seams look like.
- The moms who have babies on their hips and preschoolers at their feet.
- The moms who are getting ready to send their first child to college.
- The moms who are grieving for their babies or their own mommas.
- The moms who put up an awesome front on social media, but are secretly wearing 3-day old yoga pants with unwashed hair.
- The moms who still embrace skinny jeans and side parts.
- The moms who are just ONE step away from having it together, but that one step (or misread email) is what makes them human and vulnerable.
I could keep going on here, but you get the idea. I’m glad that Mother’s Day doesn’t discriminate among who deserves a mom shout-out. I’m so grateful God doesn’t discriminate on who He loves or raises up to be a mother. I hope that all of you out there celebrate that mom in your life who knows exactly how to love you in all the ways that you need, in only the ways that they know. I hope you celebrate who you are in this moment as a mom. I think this year, I will. And I know God will, too.
Happy Mother’s Day!