Exceptional

This post is more like a personal journal entry that I feel needs to be shared - not that this blog is read by many, but you never know who might stumble across it...

I have been struggling lately. In this world, in this day and age, expectations are everywhere. Most of them are unspoken expectations. As a younger mom with two children - one entering kindergarten and the other recently potty-trained - I feel extreme amounts of pressure to be the mom that can accomplish it all. To be frank, I feel that as a mom, if I am not doing 'fill in the blank', then I have fallen short and under the radar.

Now, to put things in to perspective, I must admit that I am to blame for the intensity of which these expectations are held. I know in my heart the activities/hobbies/etc. that I partake in are my choice and only I can answer that I have given my best to my children as I raise them. However, in all honesty, what's 'popular', 'stylish', 'educational', and, dare I say, 'healthy' are not what makes us better people. Yes, these things can contribute to a more well-rounded person, but if you do not make the cut as exceptional in these categories, you are no less exceptional as a mother - or father, daughter, son, friend, etc.

For example, my heart has been heavy because I have not joined the all-popular running club, which seems like every person I know has joined. I used to love to run, but now that it is so popular, I feel like the reason I would start again would be misunderstood. I have been depressed because journalism and photography were my greatest passions. But alas, these hobbies have been stretched so thin by millions of bloggers and new photographers that my heart just is not in it anymore. My frustration with not having the motivation to exercise on a regular basis is not because I would love to spend my precious time exercising. It is because I cannot seem to get it out of my head that I need to look and be just like those other moms who bounce back after pregnancies with better-than-before bodies. Sometimes, I allow my day to be ruined because my clothes do not look like the style of the day. But you know what? The style is going to change again tomorrow so why not create my own that never goes out of style, for me. My children will not be attending a private costly school - not because I do not care about their education, but because I care more about being a part of their education and not having to work outside the home just to provide 'better' education. And I could choose to go crazy with whole food/plant based eating, but I know that life is short and as much as I love eating well and eating healthy foods, sometimes an Oreo is exactly what my children love.

I am a mom and I LOVE being a mom. I play hard and have tons of fun with my kids. I teach my kids and I frustrate them. Some days I have to lock myself in the bathroom because I need a break and want my children to survive. My life is just how it should be. Does that mean I will never change? No. Does that mean I am completely content with who I am? No. But it does mean that I am thankful for being able to get up at 5:30am to entertain my overactive children. It means that I am grateful for the quiet times I get to myself, whether I choose to read, or exercise, or eat. It means that God has His purposes all set up for me and there is no 'striving' to be done. I have the privilege of moving in the directions He leads me.

Obviously, my issue is comparison. Each person gets to decide what they want their life to be and what they want to do with it. So what if everyone is running? If I feel the desire to run, I should run. Heck, I have never been one to join the popular crowd, so maybe this is my chance! :) If anyone can be a photographer then I must have a pretty good shot at it, too. If I am content with my appearance, then I am going to stop hiding just because I do not look like 'her'. I am proud of my mommy body - it carried two of the most precious people in my life!

I am working on loving others and who they are and where they are in life. I want to praise the exceptional, hard-working, everyday mom...

• who cannot find time to take a shower
• who cries because she has to replace her maternity clothes with larger-than-before sized clothes
• who has to put her child in child-care because she has to pay the bills with the measly amount she will actually receive after paying for child-care
• who wakes up in the morning to run because running is what she does for herself
• who goes to great lengths to ensure her children have food, even though it might be take-out
• who's spirits are lifted due to a smile or encouraging word from another mom who understands 
• ... and the list goes on.

Maybe if we take more time to love each other and support each other (instead of comparing or trying to fit the mold of the 'perfect' mom), just maybe, we would all feel a little more exceptional - because we are.