On my daughters last day of preschool this month, one of the room mothers in her class prepared an adorable graduation ceremony complete with caps, gowns and an awards ceremony. I marveled at the chocolate Swiss Rolls tied with ribbons to look like diplomas and the daily treats she brought the teachers during the last week of school.
I admit, sometimes I feel a bit envious of mothers like this who seem to always be on the ball and have the perfect, Pinterest-worthy memento for every occasion. But this year, all I felt was grateful that mothers like this exist.
We are getting ready to move cross-country, and our house looks like it has been hit by a tornado of boxes, mismatched socks and ever-increasing numbers of crayons we keep pulling out of radiators, car seats and bedsheets. So I havent been on the top of my parenting game here at the end of the school year. More than ever, I have looked around at the other mothers doing their part and am thankful for all the different types of mothers that surround me.
In particular, Im grateful for:
The crafty mom who made individualized graduation certificates for my daughter that let her know she was valued in her class.
The room mother who works a full-time job but still somehow stays on top of the class Google doc to make sure we have our volunteer assignments and know when and where for every class party.
The fun mom who invites my daughters over for playdates when she knows I need to pack more boxes.
The thoughtful mom who stopped by on my birthday with a card and delicious chocolate chip cookies.
Many times I look at other moms and want to excel in the same areas they do. I compare my weaknesses to their strengths and inevitably come up short.
But as I have looked around me this month at all the amazing moms I know and am lucky to call friends, I am so glad that each of us is different. We all bring something to this community of mothers, and we enrich each others lives and the lives of our children.
None of us can do it all alone. We need all types of moms to fill in the gaps when we fall short or need a little extra help. No one mother is going to be every type of mom all the time. Its just not possible.
So whatever type of mom you are, keep it up. You never know how other mothers may be counting on the unique gifts you take for granted. Not everyone can be a crafting superstar or a Google doc whiz, but thats OK. Were all mothers, and were all different so we can help each other along the way.
Be you, because nobody else can do it any better.
I admit, sometimes I feel a bit envious of mothers like this who seem to always be on the ball and have the perfect, Pinterest-worthy memento for every occasion. But this year, all I felt was grateful that mothers like this exist.
We are getting ready to move cross-country, and our house looks like it has been hit by a tornado of boxes, mismatched socks and ever-increasing numbers of crayons we keep pulling out of radiators, car seats and bedsheets. So I havent been on the top of my parenting game here at the end of the school year. More than ever, I have looked around at the other mothers doing their part and am thankful for all the different types of mothers that surround me.
In particular, Im grateful for:
The crafty mom who made individualized graduation certificates for my daughter that let her know she was valued in her class.
The room mother who works a full-time job but still somehow stays on top of the class Google doc to make sure we have our volunteer assignments and know when and where for every class party.
The fun mom who invites my daughters over for playdates when she knows I need to pack more boxes.
The thoughtful mom who stopped by on my birthday with a card and delicious chocolate chip cookies.
Many times I look at other moms and want to excel in the same areas they do. I compare my weaknesses to their strengths and inevitably come up short.
But as I have looked around me this month at all the amazing moms I know and am lucky to call friends, I am so glad that each of us is different. We all bring something to this community of mothers, and we enrich each others lives and the lives of our children.
None of us can do it all alone. We need all types of moms to fill in the gaps when we fall short or need a little extra help. No one mother is going to be every type of mom all the time. Its just not possible.
So whatever type of mom you are, keep it up. You never know how other mothers may be counting on the unique gifts you take for granted. Not everyone can be a crafting superstar or a Google doc whiz, but thats OK. Were all mothers, and were all different so we can help each other along the way.
Be you, because nobody else can do it any better.