Being a mom is really hard work.
It is more difficult that I could ever imagine.
And like anything that you put effort into- and by "effort" I mean your heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears- it is hard not to look at your work at the end of the day and wonder, Am I doing this right? And by "wonder" I mean worry, obsess, self-doubt, and lose sleep over.
And not only do I wonder if I am doing this whole gig correctly, but I also wonder if I am doing it as well as ______________ (insert a seemingly perfect mother's name here). How is she able to pull off motherhood so gracefully, when I can barely fit in a shower for myself?
I recently found comfort/inspiration from a blogger who I pretend to know Cjane @ http://blog.cjanerun.com
In context, her words are about being a woman in general, not specifically about being a mom, but I liked it:
She isn't less than, or more than, the next woman or man. She is her own entity which becomes cheapened when compared to others. When following the promptings inside of her soul to do whatever is important for her own life plan she simply has no equal.
Do you like it?
What has inspired you lately?
8 comments:
LOVE Cjane too!! She's awesome, along with the rest of her wonderful fam!
I find peace and satisfaction in knowing that I, and I alone, am simply doing the very best that I can as a mother and try really hard to not get into the comparison game. I can absolutely find inspiration in other moms (like Nie), but at the end of the day, I can only be the best version of myself, and no one else! And that inspires me!
Ditto...
you girls are very wise : )
You got it!
Yes, well said. And I have a feeling that even other women you look to and think have it all together, have those exact same self-doubts and feelings of failure/inadequacy/overwhelmedness (like the new word?) that isn't so obvious on their blogs and Facebook.
I recently read this blog entry from a woman I knew at my first church and felt inspired/related:
http://moonwithaview.blogspot.com/2010/03/they-say-its-my-birthday.html
I love it, Sadina! - "I can only be the best version of myself"
And Jacqui, I'll read the blog that you referenced right now!
I don't compare myself to other mothers too often, especially knowing that every woman, child and home life is different.
On my most difficult days of being a mama, I can't help but ask WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??? I'm confident that all mamas have these moments! :)
Gosh, I am l-a-t-e! Where have I been???
So, here's what I use as my "measuring tape" - it's what I call the Twinkle Factor.
I make sure to check every day, as many times as possible, to see how the twinkle in Elsie's and Brynn's eyes are - I can always tell if things are going awesome or terrible just by taking a moment to look in their eyes.
Sounds kind of Pollyanna, I know, but it's a great way for me to keep in check too - I know I need to refocus if their little eyes show me.
And, I'm super excited to read the new blogger suggestions - any other mom inspiration is so valuable!
The Twinkle Factor! I love it, Pollyanna! :)
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