Iron Sharpens Iron I dont work full time and while I realize that there is a major difference between moms that do and those who dont I will say that I now work. I have responsibilities beyond that of a normal household routine which, for the sake of full disclosure, were already pretty overwhelming. Four kids with four completely different sets of expectations, homework, showers, toenails and fingernails (am I alone in the fact that sometimes keeping track of something that simple can be really really hard?), nutritious meals, a good nights sleep, clean sheets... and the list goes on. I am tired, I am a tired mom. I rarely get the recommended amount of sleep (sleep, whats that?), I am constantly being pulled in 9 different directions and sometimes I feel like a complete failure. But... I still get up and do it again tomorrow and I will continue to do it the day after that and the day after that. Sometimes I get caught up in the idea that there should be a reward for all that I do, some sort of tangible evidence of my daily sacrifice. I had a moment like that this morning, here I am working for free, I am tired, I have lots and lots and did I say lots of things on my to do list at home and not an ounce of energy to do it. I get on Facebook and for a minute it makes everything worse. I see these moms who have run a million miles or made a delicious assortment of nutritious homemade bread and all before 8am and I am struggling just to scroll the page. I dont hate them but I hate the way that their success makes me feel in that moment. It got me thinking (as us therapist types often do) about how moms can influence other moms. Encouragement can be mistaken for judgment and sharing can be misconstrued as arrogance depending on your filter. Well, my filter was dirty this morning and needed a good cleaning. When you get overwhelmed it is easy to start pushing aside the little things that keep you grounded and that doesnt look the same for everyone. For me I know that if I am not physically active, if I am not right with God, and if I am eating and sleeping poorly I am bound to hit a wall. Despite knowing this those are usually the first things to go and why? Is there really a good excuse? Maybe, but there is still a choice in there somewhere and when we choose to neglect what makes us sane we should be prepared for the consequences. Yes I am tired, and I have a lot of really good reasons to be but I also have a responsibility to myself and my fellow moms (I wanted to say fellow soldiers in the trenches but decided that might be a touch dramatic). If I have ever made you feel less than or inferior because of my running posts, or intimidated or annoyed you with my recipe posts I apologize! I dont want you to be like me or to be impressed by me, I enjoy sharing and that in and of itself is my motivation to keep going. It is easy to see how others affect us but not always easy to see how we may be perceived. I hope on some level its an encouragement to you because if I can do it pretty much anyone can! I am also looking at you, I am encouraged by your skills and accomplishments many of which I probably dont and never will have. I am reminded this morning of Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend, THANK YOU for being my iron. We are all incredibly different but we all understand the struggle between living selflessly for our families, jobs, causes and trying to maintain some level of self-awareness and identity at the same time. I admire so many of you for so many different reasons! I may be tired but I am encouraged and empowered by your strength, determination, and character!
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:34:55 +0000
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