Today, I had a “Mr. Mom” kind of day.
We all know the scene well, but let’s make a few adjustments, shall we?
Let’s replace the TV repairman with a dishwasher repairman; the exterminator with a physical therapist; a torn woobie with a shifted cast; a chili-eating infant with an exhausted 1-year-old totally deprived of a nap and a 4-year-old stranded at preschool in her Halloween costume (although I’m pretty sure she was more than content with some extra “Grandma time” and jelly beans…). And instead of an exploding washing machine, let’s take an unexpected trip to Children’s Memorial with said 1- and 4-year-olds.
Go ahead and throw in a few meltdowns and some good ‘ole Chicago traffic for good measure.
By the way, it’s 12pm.
And scratch the “Mr.” part because he? Well, he’s in Texas for the week.
So I guess my little math equation just leaves us with a “Mom” kind of day, which really makes more sense because — haven’t we ALL been here? Maybe your washing machine really did blow up (or ate your cell phone), or you found your infant eating a tube of toothpaste (we won’t tell), or — the absolute last straw — you ran out of Pumpkin Spice creamer (because, then, you might as well be out of coffee).
But it’s what we Moms (or Mr. Moms) do, right? We juggle and put out fires and pick up and drop off and get 15 snacks and wipe noses, butts, and tears all day long — all the while we haven’t eaten or gone to the bathroom or, heck, even showered for longer than we care to admit.
Yet it’s these days — the crazy, sitcom-worthy days — that we can take a step back and say, “I did it.” Super Mommy powers activated, extra limbs found, and somehow a decent meal still found it’s way on the table. And as exhausting and somehow unsatisfying the world tries to convince us it all is, it’s these days that I realize that I not only did it “all,” but that I did it without freaking out and, more importantly, that it was totally worth it.
They are worth it.
Too often I beat myself up for what I didn’t get done, what I should have done, or what I could have done better. But, today, I am waving my Super Mom flag because once in awhile, we need to do that for ourselves.
We need to do that so that we realize that this is rewarding. That these days are shaping us. That somewhere in the middle of the chaos, we are growing, getting stronger, and becoming someone He intended all along.
And even if it doesn’t feel like it — especially on days like these when no one else seems to notice — we are worth it. We are making a difference. We are significant.
He certainly thought so, and so should you.
You are worth it.
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”
Proverbs 31:30-31
(P.S. How were you “super” today? Go ahead and tell, it feels good!)