This week, June 12-18, I am hosting an online book/Bible study on Hope for the Weary Mom – I’ll be posting from one chapter each day from the point of view of the new mom. If that’s not the group for you, click here to find another one! There is an introduction post with more details here. I would love if you’d join in the daily discussion!

When You Don’t Measure Up
A defining moment in my marriage was one October evening nearly 7 years ago. We sat on the couch together for the first time in two years, after we’d broken up and moved on – but not really. We said let’s take a chance. Let’s tell the deep truth about how we feel. Let’s say the scary things as though there were no repercussions and no reasons to be nervous, and let’s call that ‘simple honesty’

And since that night we’ve remained simply honest with one another.

Can’t we do that as moms? Can’t we, when updating Facebook, have the courage to post something real? Like ‘after drinking half a cup of cold coffee that’s been sitting on the counter for two hours, I’m going to clean up the poo-splosion from this morning that I left on the changing table because OH the gross, and then I may attack the dust bunnies and dishes that have mutinied. Or I may just take a nap with the baby.

what i did instead of cleaning. duh.

Or what if we tweeted, ‘Would you come over for a couple hours? I could use a hug&some help.’ 

What do you think the response would have been had I instagrammed this picture of the Boy absolutely coated in spit-up?

what’s that? you don’t take pictures of the disasters before cleaning them up?

I just asked Husby if I should post this pathetic picture of the Boy because I’m scared you’re all going to think I’m a rotten human being for snapping a pic before cleaning his poor sweet face. If you tell me I’m rotten I will cry, so please just think it quietly. Or better yet, tell me that you’ve done it and send me a picture of the same caliber! =)

Honestly, I would SO much rather see simply honest statuses like these rather than some where the mom has makeup on, clean jeans that are pre-pregnancy sized, a clean house in the background, there’s not a spot on the baby, and everyone is smiling. Does she have it all together? Maybe. Probably not. But does it look like she does? You bet.

proof that I do clean him.

I’m not saying we don’t have moments and days where all is well and right and good. Those times should be broadcast, and etched into our beings for the rest of the days. We need to share the lovely things about being mama too. But:

‘Nothing keep us weary like the illusion that everyone else has it all together.’
-hope for the weary mom, page 8

This feeling of not measuring up has been one of the hardest parts of mothering for me. Comparison steals my joy – how does it affect you?

Let’s talk:

  • How often do you catch yourself comparing your home, job, income or parenting to someone else?
  • What are the verses from HFTWM’s list that really speak to your hearts inclination to compare?

-anna
{girl with blog}

anna
{girl with blog}
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