We need to give ourselves a huge dose of mama grace. We talk so much about giving other people grace, especially other mothers when we see their kid throwing a fit at the store. We think “ahhhh. . .give her a little grace, she is having a rough day.” You know this mom. She is the mom that feels like everyone is staring at her. She must be the only one who deals with this because all the other children in the store are walking peacefully with their parents. And everyone must be judging her because her child is throwing a fit, as if she has a magic wand and can make her child snap to attention as she waves it over them.
But wait! Hold on. . . .That “SHE” is really ME. And she is probably you too, right? Maybe your child is older and no longer throws fits, but instead, your child throws attitude. Maybe you wrongly believe that you are the only one and tell yourself that everyday is going to be a better day. And then when it’s not, you feel ashamed and realized you have failed. You go to bed and imagine a good day the next day, and the next, and the next. What if you went to bed tonight thinking about how you have no expectations for the day. Instead, say, “Ahhhhh. . .give yourself a little grace. You are having a rough day. Things didn’t go the way you planned, did they? Your list hasn’t been checked off, and your kitchen is still a mess from the night before. Before you write the day off as a failure, stop and give yourself a little grace.” Then you respond, “oh absolutely not. This mama and that mama have it ALL together. My best friend just posted about how she took her kids on a nature hunt, and they looked so peaceful. I need to be more like her. I was talking with my other friend, and she told me all about her magical trip to the beach.” We know they have struggles too. They HAVE to because life is full of them! So why do we do this to ourselves? WHY? We have enough grace to extend to ourselves, don’t we?
The push for perfection and comparison needs to stop here. How often do we actually extend grace to our own selves? We need to give ourselves a huge dose of mama grace. A lot of times we are our worst critic, our harshest judge, and we criticize every move that we make. We compare ourselves to other mothers who appear to be perfect, who appear to have everything put together, who appear to have perfect children who NEVER EVER act up in public. But really that’s not true. Focus on what you have done rather than what you haven’t checked off the list. Focus on those little people who need you. If you are married, ask your husband for help when you feel overwhelmed. Ask your friends to give you a pep talk. Meet over coffee and let it all out. That’s right. You can do it. And I promise, if I see you struggling or over worked, a mama in need of extra grace, I will listen.
