Keeping It Real

Normal everyday life. Not always pretty and not always ready for Instagram and Facebook. That's what I thought of when I read Rachel Marie Martin's post, For the Days When You Feel Like the Worst Mom Ever.

Confession: Sometimes I totally blow it as a mom, too. Anyone else out there? I say the wrong words and leave hurt in their wake. I act in anger and live to regret it later. I ignore things I should deal with and harp on things that don't really matter. I worry about the inconsequential and give little thought to the things that last. 

When I fail, it's easy to think I'm the only mom who loses her temper, who says the wrong thing, who sets a bad example.

Thankfully my kids are always forgiving. They don't hold a grudge or write me off as a failure. They move past the moment much faster than I do.

This week we're on family vacation. It's great and it's messy. It's lots of fun and it's tedious. There's laughing and fighting and loving and hurting and learning and growing. There are lots of opportunities to get it right and lots of opportunities to practice humility...again.

Maybe you're on a mothering high or maybe you've hit a low point today. Maybe you're in neutral, coasting along. Wherever you are, you can be certain it will be changing. That's normal everyday life.