Dear Mom, I Love You...

Mothers are special gems, often under appreciated and typically, her own worst critic. She is a woman of many talents and her hat collection is vast! Some of her hobbies include neglecting her hair, repeating herself over and over, daydreaming about bed time and vacations, constantly picking up couch cushions from the floor, never being able to properly convey the value of her privacy to her children, stepping on a Lego and turning it into an elaborate prayer meeting, counting to 3 and turning into Cinderella at the ball after 1 sip of coffee.

Mother's are radiant creatures who face more inward struggles than any other human on the planet. Involved in a constant identity crisis and battle of self-worth. It is truly heart breaking to see all the Moms that work so hard and yet think they are failing. When will it stop?

Mom, you are doing a good job and you are enough! Be confident in the woman God has called you to be! He didn’t call any of us to perfection!

Regardless of how you became a Mom, congratulations, you are! The only person who you need to validate you, is Jesus Christ and He did that the moment that tiny heart started beating. He called you to this purpose whether you are biologically connected to your child or not. God knew all your faults and still He loved you enough to take you on this journey. He intentionally paired your family together, just like puzzle pieces. That special gift of being a Mother was extended to you!

A Mother is a protector, disciplinarian & friend. She is a selfless & loving human who must sacrifice many of her wants & needs. Her dreams are always secondary & maybe someday. She works hard to make sure her child is equipped with the knowledge, skills & abilities to make it as a competent human being. She often lives her success through her children. She works hard to make everyone happy without disappointing someone else. Many times a Mother goes to bed wondering if her children see anything other than a maid, cook or prison warden when they look at her. Am I doing a good job? Did I make a difference today? Will they forgive me for messing up? So many questions when most likely, our child is dreaming of our face as the sunshine.

Moms are hard enough on themselves without any outside contributions. It’s more than a full-time job that would call for much more than a 6-figure income and no amount of education could prepare you for. Families, make a special effort to celebrate the Mother in your home. Encourage her, acknowledge her, thank her, help her, love her, hug her and possibly make sure she is caffeinated every day.

The 3 guys in my house are my world, my heart and my main priority, everything else is secondary. Life becomes out of balance when more time is spent on anything other than your immediate family. You don't have to give them up to live your dreams and you don't have to give up your dreams to be a Mother. Time management is a work of art that we women need to master!

Right this minute, I am sitting in an uncomfortable chair watching my husband have batting practice with our boys and pausing every third sentence to take a video... Multi-tasking!

Proverbs 4:23 says “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

When is the last time you showed up for yourself? It's probably been a while.

You can't be everything for everyone all the time. There will come a time when your well runs dry. Flying with Delta has taught me that no matter what your instincts tell you to do, you have to place the mask over your own face before you can help someone else with theirs... Including your children! That makes a Mother feel a little uncomfortable and selfish but actually it makes you more equipped to care. Take care of yourself first Mom! When you make self-care a priority, you are creating a better Mom for your family. This means that every once in a while you need to splurge on girl time, it's ok. You can do this alone or with a friend, whatever makes you smile! Go get a manicure, enjoy a latte, then take care of your spirit and health. Life happens, every day is not going to be perfect but if you have taken proper care of your body, mind and spirit, you will make it through.

Mom’s come in many forms, shapes and sizes. There isn’t one better than the other and your unique story doesn’t qualify or disqualify your worth. You do you!

Instead of hiding and being ashamed of the scars Motherhood has given you, embrace them and allow them to be your motivation. Your scars tell stories of how you overcame the things in life that were meant to tear you down. You are more than capable to do the job God has assigned you to do.

You will make it and your kids will survive, even if you think you are failing, chances are, you’re not! Breathe, stick in a frozen pizza for dinner, wash the dishes tomorrow and trust God to sort out the rest. Mom’s we aren’t doing anyone any favors by comparing ourselves to every trend the wind blows. Your husband doesn’t expect you to be his Mother, your children do not want a different Mommy. They just want you!

When you start to feel like you aren't the Mom everyone expects you to be, remember, everyone has an opinion and they are all different. Some people like vanilla ice cream and some prefer chocolate... It's all a matter of preference.

If you decide to purify and blend your own baby food, hey, go for it girl! My kids ate from the jars and plastic packets and they haven't turned green yet so, hey, that's one for the team!

Listen sweet lady, never forget, you are a warrior making sure your child’s story is epic. Standing on the sidelines prepared to single handedly annihilate any opposition that comes their way and not think twice about it. Your unconditional love coupled with the backing of the Holy Ghost cannot be defeated.

Here's to all the Mom's out there! May they be blessed every day and have all the love, support and coffee they can handle!

I love you Mom! You are doing a great job. Just relax!

XOXO -Denisha