Don’t be Afraid to Be a Real Mom

I’ve heard from many different people how much I seem to “have it all together”. Thanks to my use of scheduling my time I am, for the most part, able to stay on top of–or at least have a good handle on–many areas in my life. Both hubby and I are the kinds of people who thrive in a neat and clean environment, so keeping on top of things in our home is always at the top of my to do list.

I’m the kind of person who feels the need to “deep clean” just in order for the maintenance guy to come change the filters in our apartment. The few times people show up unannounced and the house isn’t as nice as I think it should be I always freak out a little bit.

But lately I’ve been realizing that I really don’t have to be perfect all of the time. A few weeks back I had invited friends over for a fun and informal play date at my place. I had cleaned most of the house, but didn’t get to it all on time due to a few things popping up the day before. Normally I would have made myself wake up at the crack of dawn the next day–because goodness I don’t want people to come over and see that my house is messy!

But really–I realized that deep down that was a pride issue–and not pride in a good way. I wanted these women to go “wow how on earth does she have a house that clean on top of all she does??” But really–that’s not what the day was supposed to be about at all. It was supposed to be about fellowship and fun and helping and encouraging each other as moms.

So I left the dishes piled high in the sink.

And you know what? I doubt anyone noticed. Or if they did hopefully it made them feel a little more at home knowing that they’re not the only ones who can’t manage to balance a million things, all the time.

My challenge for you today is don’t be afraid to be a “real mom”. Don’t let your need for perfection (or your pride!!) in any area hold you back from reaching out a hand to help or inviting another mom over to be an encouragement!

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