A Letter to Moms Everywhere,
I’d like to applaud you, all of you, everywhere. You’re doing a good job! It’s important for you to know that regardless of where you are, where you’ve been, and what you’ve shouted, you are someone’s mother which is an extremely cool title you get to have; See also, Selfless Human, She Who is Worthy of Praise and a Donut.
I know it doesn’t always feel this cool. It’s not all daisies and manicures and endless streams of “love you mores.” You’re out there working hard, on the front-lines wiping baby’s bottoms and teenage-girl tears. Pack the lunch without complaint, find the sock without a thanks. Our expensive straight-teeth smiles are home to whining and complaining and excuses we fling in your direction.
There are days you feel exhausted. Days you feel less than successful. Less than prepared. Sick with worry. Spiraling thoughts of ‘am I doing this right?’ next to doubt and fear. Here to remind you: Nobody’s perfect! There is always room for improvement and also dessert.
I hope you choose the latter today. (Cue the donut.) Something multi-layered, oozing with chocolate, or perhaps a fancy torte. Whatever your unique palette craves, you should go for it. Because, Mother’s Day. Treat yo self to a happy one. Have it your way like McDonalds because you’re worth it like L’Oreal. Hold your kind/smart/important heads high today, because kind and smart and important, you IS! Feel like a perfect 10 in a size 2 pants today. Maybe you’re born with it, maybe it’s Mother’s Day. The crowd goes wild, all around the world, for you today!
So if you get one day and one day only, would you please just shock us all and do something selfish!? Can you imagine? For once? If selfish isn’t your speed (it likely isn’t) then just let yourself smile. Erase all insecurities and trust you’re exactly where you need to be. Bask for a moment in how far you’ve come. Enjoy the day. The praise. The scribbled cards. The home-made pottery. The breakfast in bed. The phone calls from far away. The wrinkles, the scars, the stretch marks and gray hairs. Capture it all. All of it is lovely and worthy of praise. Savor it. Make it the cherry on top of your torte. And when the sun goes down, and the dishes are put away, and the kids have all gone to bed, I hope you please look at yourself. Please tell yourself you’re proud of you too.