'Turning in My Cape'
Carla: Okay, I give. Uncle. I just can't do it anymore. I can't keep trying to be SuperMom.
I wasn't all that good at it to begin with. I've tried to be the perfect combination of devoted mom, conscientious employee, committed volunteer, trustworthy committee head, loving wife, solid Christian, helpful daughter, and caring friend, and have failed miserably on all fronts. But even if I had been able to pull all of that off, I'm not convinced any of us should.
I don't know where we get the idea that we have to be all things to all people. Maybe it's that we can't bear the pressure when the head of the pto calls and begs us to coordinate the cookie sales. Maybe we want the pastor to be impressed or we think there should be a children's choir and no one else will organize it. Maybe, maybe, maybe. I think we have plenty of legitimate, even noble, reasons for living under the illusion that we should be these women who can conquer any challenge and accomplish whatever we set out to do. But I don't think that's who God created us to be.
Caryn: It's funny because today is one of those days. I'm sick, my kids are crabby, and deadlines are pressing. Today I know I can barely be Semi-DecentMom let alone SuperMom! I've had enough of these kinds of "humbling" days that I learned long ago to give up on the idea of being SuperMom. At least of being someone else's idea of SuperMom.
If I do say so, I've done some super things in my life as a mom. They just might not be "super" on everybody's list. In fact, I'm pretty sure that as long as I keep bailing on Room Parent duty, as long as most rooms in my house stay messy, or as long as my kids are allowed to concoct their own outfits (for most things), I'll fall way short on many people's lists.
But you know what? There's only one SuperMom list any of us need to be concerned with. And it happens to be smothered in mom-grace. So we're good.
Carla: Grace. It's a SuperMom's kryptonite, and that's a good thing. It's what reminds us that we don't have to be impressive, that we don't have to follow some random rules about what motherhood should look like. Grace means we already matter to the One who matters most, our good, loving, and grace-filled God! So let's drop our capes, put down our halos, retire our medals, and let ourselves be the sometimes flawed, sometimes awesome moms God made us to be.
Life Lesson
"Show proper respect to everyone."—1 Peter 2:17
My desire is that my children learn to be mindful of others. This Sunday I found my daughter bolting across the sanctuary in a full-blown game of tag. She was in hot pursuit of her friend and heading toward an unsuspecting couple. I stepped quickly into her path and squatted by her. I had her look closely at the others around her and think about the needs they had. She saw a mother carrying an infant and the elderly couple just ahead of her. It's not an easy thing to teach but it's worth the effort and repetition.
—Holly Hutchens, Wisconsin
Related Topics:
Identity, Mothering
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