I have a confession to make...
I'm a good mother.
It's not as funny to read about, or as juicy, but it's honest. I have a great home, a great marriage and great kids. I don't remind myself often enough, but my kids are great kids because I'm a great mother.
There are days where I cry for no reason. Days where I wonder how I can handle all of this responsiblity for even one more hour. In the midst of that chaos it never fails that one of my children will come and pat me on the back and offer to help. Just when I think I can't take anymore, I get to see where all of my hard work goes. There is no job in the world with more at stake, but there's also no other job in the world where you get to witness the amazing result day to day or even hour to hour.
When I get into bed at night and Buzz Lightyear stabs me in the back or I find a squished up granola bar in the bottom of my purse, I roll my eyes and laugh. Secretly though, I'm smiling because it's a reminder of this life that I pretend to shrug off as impossible turmoil, but really do adore so much. Some days are so tough that I sing in my head "You could have been a lawyer or a doctor, but you're here wiping the butt of a child wearing Spiderman underpants", but I just can't imagine myself going any other way.
If Moms complain about how hard they have it or how tough it is, they're made out to be martyrs begging for sympathy. Really though, can you think of anything in life more self-sacrificing? I think we're entitled to the occasional wallow or meltdown. We do it because we love it, even if we don't always like it.
I'm a good mother because I put everything I have into it and I know I'm not alone. I'm a good mother because I let my kids read a story fifty times before they get bored. I'm a good mother because I trip into the kitchen at 3am to get kitchen water for a child who hates it from the bathroom tap. I'm a good mother because I spend time away from them, working on myself, my body and my relationships with friends. I'm a good mother because I expect a lot from my children and they rarely let me down - and I let them know that. I'm not crafty or extremely creative, they can actually teach me a thing or two, but I'm freaking silly and I make my kids laugh. I tease them and compete with them and show them that I can be pretty dorky a lot of the time. I sing to the car radio and they tell me I'm breaking their ears and they love it.
I like to sit here and tell you that I don't know how I got here. That I had different plans for myself that went slightly awry, but that's not really true. I was meant to be here and I was meant to be good at it. I'm not always going to be here, stuck in the trenches of childhood. My future holds a lot of promise and I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime, this is my job and I'm having a huge amount of fun ... most days. Okay, most hours.
On Mother's Day it's hard not to be cliche or say things that haven't been said repeatedly, but I just wanted to make that point. I'm a good mother.
And so are you.
