Real Moms Do Exist

My three-year-old climbs in my lap as I am typing and says, “Can I push a button, Mommy?  Can I?  God reminds me, in a very loud voice, I am a mom.  I have watched the video of Kate Greene as she talks of letting “Supermom go.  Even as she talks of life not being perfect and how the world of parenting can easily consume her, I am still tempted to think I am the only one—the only one who puts pressure on myself to be the perfect parent, the only one who wonders if I say “no too little or too much, the only one that has hidden from my children craving one tiny moment of silence (ok, maybe that one is just me). The truth is I am not the only parent, and Kate is no exception either.
Parenting is hard.  It is overwhelming, and it brings the feeling of immense pressure to be perfect, along with lots of self-doubt.  These little faces, so impressionable, are looking at us to give them direction, confidence, strength, wisdom, and the list goes on, right?  If you are a parent, you understand.  You can understand no matter the age of your children, the fear of not doing it right or looking back wondering if you had done things differently maybe things would be different.
Well, God gives you permission to let go.  Join the many moms, including myself, who have let “Supermom go.  I will fill you in on a little secret…the title was never yours to claim. You can take comfort knowing you are not in control.  As much preparation as you may have done, all the parenting books and mommy blogs you have read, find peace knowing that you are not in control.  Yes, the control freak mommy in me actually finds peace knowing my children are not mine.  God planted them under my care with clear instruction.  He has called me, as He calls all of His children, to be Christ-like.  In all I do and say, I am called to be like Jesus.   However, unlike Jesus, I will fail.  I will make mistakes, and I have to give myself grace for those mistakes.  God gives us grace.  Why is it so difficult for us to forgive ourselves, learn, and move forward?
I believe it is because the image of “Supermom lingers in our minds—that image of a mom that does not exist.  Let her go as she is not the picture God paints of a mother.  God calls us to be like His Son.  Jesus was no superhero created by someone’s imagination.  Jesus was a person who walked the earth just as we do.  He was surrounded by people that needed him 24/7. They screamed and shouted His name. His days did not go as He planned. He was interrupted by people who needed Him. He was tempted to fail, He was ignored, He was called many names, and He was not always liked or loved.  Sound familiar?  He was human.  He felt the pain of rejection just like we do.  He felt love just like we do.  So, when you are overwhelmed and tempted to fix your eyes on the “Supermom that never lived, let her go and fix your eyes on Jesus, a man who walked in your shoes.   Find comfort in the fact that you, a person who inevitably will fail, is not in control.
Letting go,
Melissa Hightower
Mom of Four
Director of Marketing and Communication, Paul Anderson Youth Home