Mothers Day Blues
This one is for the moms who maybe didn't have the picture perfect Mother's Day. For whatever reason, the day didn't turn out to be the nice break or easy day full of love you wished for.
Maybe you're in a situation like me where your spouse would love to give you such a day, but his work schedule just doesn't allow it.
Maybe you're a single mother without that village of support to step in and take over every once in a while so you can have a well-deserved breather.
Or maybe this day is hard for you for a different reason: you're mourning a mother, you never knew a loving mother, you're mourning a child, or you're trying to have a child.
And while you may have spent the majority of the day rolling your eyes at the plethora of perfect Mother’s Day posts on social media, can I take the time to offer you some encouragement mixed with a little reality?
Motherhood is the most difficult role I've ever undertaken while simultaneously being the most beautiful part of my life thus far. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Some of you know the difficult journey of infertility I traveled to become a mother. In a way, this gives me a deeper appreciation for the sweet moments, but it also unlocks so much guilt when I feel I'm not handling it well or being the best mother to my babies. I've felt a lot of that guilt today seeing the moms online excited about being able to sleep in late or successfully make it to church on time (neither happened over here). I was especially bitter when I woke up with a cold this morning. I want to be that woman who is genuinely happy for her friends when life is going well for them, and I feel like I am able to be that woman when my life is also going well. However, this morning my empathy meter is dangerously low. I am extremely sleep-deprived due to my husband currently working nights a the hospital. His new schedule has also been rough on the twins, who love their daddy very much and are struggling with their limited sightings of him. Anyone who has ever raised toddlers probably knows that this interruption to their typical flow has resulted in more tantrums, less patience, and plenty of tears (from them and me).
But, between all of the requests for snacks, trips to the potty, and toys being strewn everywhere, there have still been lots of laughs, hugs, and kisses. We all enjoyed watching church from home and I couldn't help but tear up when the twins started singing along to the worship songs. I am reminded once again of God’s unfailing love for me. Even at my most grumpy, cranky, whiny point, he finds a way to find me. As I put my children to bed tonight, I kissed their sweet faces, apologized for the times I was short with them, and gave praise to the God who gifted me these two beautiful souls to raise.
If you are a mom who didn't have that perfect day today, please know you’re not alone, and the hard work you put in day and night does not go unnoticed. Not only are you teaching your kids hard work and perseverance, you're demonstrating your strength and faith in God, which they'll carry with them always. This morning, my pastor preached on 2 Timothy 1:5 which says, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (NIV) I know I can attribute my faith to the wonderful women of my heritage: my grandmothers Virginia and Barbara and my mother Rachel; I pray that my children will be able to say the same of my faith when they look back one day.
Happy Mother's Day
