I got to reconnect with some old work friends recently and confirmed what I knew to be true… moms aren’t perfect. There were no super-mommy facades at those golden arches. (Our dining choice has changed much since having kids). It was refreshing to sit and talk and be honest and real.
I think women tend to have this image of the perfect mom. She may be the cookie-baking, house-cleaning type, or the perfectly organized mom who always look fabulous, or the mom who somehow strikes perfectly that delicate balance between family and career. Even if we know an actual person that we look to and admire for her super-mommyness, chances are she doesn’t have it as altogether as we think. As a matter of fact, she’s probably not even trying to give us that impression. Most likely, we haven’t shown her our true selves– the imperfect moms we are (who have to put ourselves in timeout), so why would she reveal her own parenting struggles?
As for me, I’m dropping the preconceived notions that other mothers are much more patient, organized, beautiful, perfect, etc. than I am. Perfection can’t be attained but we can all be great moms. Recognizing and being honest with our imperfections is a great place to start. Thank you to my McD mommies for being your beautiful, wonderful, and honest selves. I truly enjoyed our time together.
