#strong like mom

When I this saw this shirt and picked it up, I never realized how much she'd love it nor how often & proud she'd be to wear it. At the end of some days I feel like I've moved mountains and other days...def not even close. I have realized it doesn't matter if we are career moms, stay at home moms, single moms...we all have those nights where we lay in bed thinking, "I should have done this" or "if only I" and wish we could have done more. Why? Because we're Moms and it's the way God made us.

Last week I had dinner with a close friend who is a stay at home mama of 3. Her husband works long hours and at least 2 weekends a month. When she sat down she burst into tears and said, "I feel so bad complaining to you of all people but somedays I just feel like I can't do it all." All I could do was chuckle and then began to reassure her that she is not alone.

I shared how my dishes from yesterday are still sitting in the sink, the laundry in our house is nicknamed, "the laundry monster" because its where dirty clothes go, eaten and never are seen again. She already knew I gave up on sorting socks and created a "sock bin." Thank goodness my kids agree it's cool to wear mismatched socks. I shared with her that some days, I get up and have to create my own sunshine because let's be honest, we all have rough days.

Throughout the past decade, with the help of social media, there's a lot of pressure to be "perfect." If you think about it, it begins before we even give birth. The nursery should look like a room out of a catalog only to realize the most important piece to any nursery is a comfortable rocking chair. Let's face it, that will be the spot where you spend a SIGNIFICANT amount of time. (Lesson learned worthy to share..invest in one you really like because you won't want to part with it because of those memories...just saying. It's hard to find a room where hot pink flows with your decor ; ) Aside from a picture perfect nursery, there's an immense amount of pressure for us Mom's look a certain way very shortly after delivery. And then? We need to be ultra creative, plan & throw lavish birthday parties, our house spic and span to entertain at any given moment, our hair done, makeup on, dinner made, attending all extracurricular activities, sporting events, homework, backpacks ready for the next day, baths, showers, reading for 20 minutes and of course singing goodnight songs, hugs, kisses and then lights out. I completely understand where the term #hotmess was created and us Mama's have rightfully earned it.

I don't know about you but once my head hits the pillow, before I know it, it's 5:30 am and the alarm is going off. Somedays I wake up refreshed and ready to start the day, other days, absolutely exhausted. We've all had nights awake with a sick child, or experience heart palpitations in the middle of the night when the smoke detector goes off for no apparent reason. (I might have one literally hanging from the ceiling, without a battery because I CANNOT for the life of me, figure it out why it won't stop beeping. ) At that point, you might as well just have a cup of coffee and get a jump start to your day, because it's absolutely impossible to get everyone back to sleep.

If you're a working Mama, like me, we lose sleep tossing and turning with deadlines or when your greatest ideas come to mind and your laptop is not in sight. I'm sure many can relate to scrolling through social media and your stream is flooded with stuff people have already done that morning, picture perfect kids dressed for school, lavish breakfasts or maybe exquisite destinations? It does help if you reassure yourself that they have to be in different time zones-like the other side of the world- and that's why they've accomplished this before your coffee pot is brewed...right?!? :) Reality is, it's not even 7am and you feel like you’re failing as a mom and the day hasn't even begun.

Well...do you know what? You're NOT failing...we all need to remind ourselves of that. We need to stop comparing ourselves to others and give ourselves more grace. For the next 24 hours, I challenge you to write down all the things you accomplish in a day, and yes, a shower ABSOLUTELY counts! Jot down all the smiles you created through encouragement, hugs, kisses, thank you's, meals made (even if it's french toast for dinner, in my house-thats a win!), books read, "I love you's" and more. None of us is perfect but we just need to learn from things that didn't work, tweak them and continue ever forward. We are all crazy busy, racing around from one thing to the next, running on caffeine but you keep going. The next time you hear a voice inside your head that makes you feel like you're failing, repeat over and over again, "I've got this." You can do this. If you stumble and fall, get back up, brush yourself off and start again. We only get one shot at this and you are the perfect mother for those children. God knew that when he blessed you with them. Remember that. You're a great mom. You matter. You are making a difference. You can do this. One step at a time. From one #hotmess of a mama to another. Being completely transparent, I have no problem sharing that I too know one day I'll have it all together. Until then, I continue to give myself grace, never quit and learn from life's lessons. We all have a "story" and you can't have a TESTIMONY without TESTS. Even when you feel alone, know that you are never alone. "Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10