Friday evening I had another crazy-lady meltdown, listing the following failures…
- failing at taking care of our home
- failing at helping our boys get along
- failing at loving them well
- failing at teaching respect/obedience
- failing…failing…failing
I looked at my husband. Knowing he was just as sick as I was hearing this familiar rant. I asked him to tell me everything he thought I’m doing wrong as a mom. I told him I REALLY wanted to know. Because, in my mind, I assumed he was thinking all these things and just not telling me. So I’d rather he told me everything he was frustrated about and I could just start working harder on those things (I told you…”crazy lady rant”!).
He said, “Why should I tell you? You aren’t going to believe me?”
I promised him I could handle it. I’d believe him.
He simply responded, “First you tell me 10 things you do well.”
I stared at him blankly. I couldn’t. I couldn’t come up with even one good thing.
He says, “That’s what I think is wrong. You are too hard on yourself. You are a wonderful mom. You work soooo hard to get it right.”
(at this point I was in tears, mind you)
“Heather, NO ONE has it right. No matter what you read or what you think. There isn’t some magical formula out there. You aren’t going to ever get it right. So just relax. Chill out.”
Chill out.
I bluntly replied, “I don’t know how. I don’t know how not to care. Not to try. Not to expect to pursue doing everything the best way possible. I don’t know how to be okay with ‘okay’.”
Do you struggle with thinking one day you will have this parenting thing all figured out? Assuming you will finally learn the secret to keeping your home in exquisite order, while engaging your children in educational activities, training them to love & respect others, and enjoy the entire process?
If you are the type of woman who totally understands exactly what I just described, I want to give you a “get out of jail free” card. Because those expectations of perfection have imprisoned me and you.
In His presence is fullness of joy. In His presence I am free to love my children with His love. In His presence what other’s think of me does not matter. In His presence I am perfect and free just as He intended me to be. Free.
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1
As part of your “freedom” today, I give you full permission to sit on the couch with your kiddos (if they are over 2 years old) and watch the movie “Cars”. To take away any “mommy guilt”…here is a discussion guide I wrote over at The MOB Society: “Cars” Discussion Guide (pride & humility of Lightning McQueen).
***note: after writing this post, we were at a pool and my 4-year-old son was playing on a railing. He fell on to the concrete hitting the back of his head. My husband took him to our new favorite emergency room, Highland Park ER, and checked him out. Seeing a picture of my son in a CT Scanner will shake you and bring you to your knees.
Fortunately the scan was normal. He was diagnosed with a concussion. He is hopefully going to be fine. In this moment, perfection seems so unimportant. Life. Being fully present in life and kisses those sweet babies. That’s all that matters to me tonight.
Oh the crazy lady rant, I’m intimately familiar, and it’s such a relief to hear others do it too. I’m praying his concussion resolves quickly and that you enjoy Cars. Thanks heather. You connect so well.
Thank you fellow crazy lady. Appreciate your encouragement always. Fortunately the little guy was sweeter than ever today…think I’m supposed to be looking for a “change in personality”…but what if I like this change? 😉
Your words blessed me again today. It is so good to know I am not alone in the “crazy mom rants”…and the wake up call trips to the ER! May we learn to receive His grace in the moments, over and over again.
Love that, “His grace in the moments”. Thanks for the encouragement!
You have no idea how much your words have encouraged me right where I am at today! Thank you for the invitation to “chill out” with you!
So thankful the Holy Spirit could speak to you through the work in my own heart. Hope tomorrow is also a chill out day!
I am quite familiar with the Crazy Lady Rant myself! Mothering is a very difficult job, and it is impossible to be at peace with what we do as moms without God’s grace. Thank you for your honesty and encouragement!
Good stuff, Heather.
thanks friend! still need our phone call!
Hi Heather, your mom was my teacher years ago, and when I posted on FB last night about my own Mommy rant (post-moving, no less) she sent me here. Thanks for writing so honestly and for pointing me back to my real Home. I’m so glad for grace today!
Hey Laura! So glad God could speak to you through my own struggle. We need each other to keep fighting the good fight and to never surrender! His mercies are new every. single. morning. (and hour 😉 .
hi heather,
hi heather,Thanks for the encouragement, the feeling is so familiar ,have twin boys agaed 5years and I end up most days feeling that i wish I was a perferct mum.I do pray that God will lead us to bring up our boys according to His will. Especially to make us realise each child is different and so bringing each one up is a different way.Thank God for you and your family. You are an inspiration.
God bless
bhavna