A Note to All Moms

Dear Mom,

You are doing a good job.

Whatever kind of mom you are, keep at it.

You're a Pinterest Mom. You create and craft beautiful memories with your family and for yourself. You make delicious meals and share the recipe with a huge community. You innovate and reuse. You inspire. And hey, if your kids' rooms don't look anything like the "Kids' Rooms" board you have, even though you've recreated the wall art and bought bedding and curtains in similar tones...it's okay. (I'm almost certain those photos were taken before the kids got ahold of that room anyway.) But the fact that you so carefully chose whimsical prints, patterns, and paint (I did not plan for that alliteration) for your little ones...that's all that matters.

You're not a Pinterest Mom. You may be insanely busy or not even have a Pinterest account. No worries. You use recipes and craft ideas from your childhood or close friend to share with your youngins and you create many wonderful memories with your family. You're inspiring, as well. Maybe you give your kids frozen chicken nuggets, set on their place in the shape of a smiley face, and bring home crayons and coloring books because you didn't have a chance to get glue or scissors due to your hectic day. Uh yeah, that's totally fine. Kids like chicken nuggets and kids like to color. They're okay.

You're an iPhone Mom. Maybe you've been with your kids all day long and need just a few minutes to yourself to catch up on news, the weather, look at a friend's newborn baby pictures. As long as you know your kid is safe, you go ahead and check Facebook. Or possibly you're texting a friend who is dealing with cancer and you're sending her encouraging words. Or maybe that huge project at work is coming up and you're checking your email to make sure everything is lined up. It's cool. You're allowed to take time for yourself.

You're not an iPhone Mom. You see your son or daughter swinging, sun glistening off the beads of sweat on their forehead. They're precious kids and you're happy to enjoy this moment watching them just be kids. Sometimes it's so nice to just disconnect and get away for a little while, and that's okay, too.

You're a Stay-At-Home Mom. You're a Work-At-Home Mom. You're a Work-From-Home Mom. The decisions you've made are exactly what you know is best for you and your family. You enjoy your job...whether it's being at home, working in an office, or both. You get dinner on the table every night, that's great. You picked up your kids' favorite pizzas on the way home, fabulous. Maybe your kids are home with you all day. Maybe they're in daycare all day. Or maybe they're in a Mother's Day Out program. Your kids love being with you. Your kids love making friends and playing with other people their own age. They're okay.

You're a Mom In Waiting. God has called you to something incredibly special. Your perfect child(ren) is waiting for you and you're waiting for him/her/them. You pray for them daily. You check the weather where you know they temporarily live and imagine a rainbow over their heads when you see it's scattered thunderstorms today. You've been asked to sacrifice so much and give so much. You've already planned crafts and outings and nursery/bedroom designs that you can't wait to share with them when they get here. You miss them so much.

You're a Mom With Lots O'Kiddos. Sometimes you and the hubs look at each other and think, "What have we done?" But you wouldn't trade a second with any one of those babes for an extra hour of sleep. (Well...maybe a second.) You have stretch marks, saggy skin, hair where there shouldn't be hair, acne scars...so many physical signs of the beautiful blessing God chose you to carry. You were also called to something special.

Are you a mom who posts pictures of your food? Go ahead! I like to eat food! (I mostly like pictures of desserts, though, you know...for future reference.)

Are you a mom who posts pictures of your feet at the beach? UH FINE WITH ME. Y'all know I love the beach. And I wish I was sitting beside you reading a gossip magazine.

Are you a mom who posts tons of pictures of your kids? Go ahead! Post away! I totally took pictures of the twins' first poops in the potty. I did not post it, no, but I'm PROUD of my kids, even the small, "mundane" things they do. They make ridiculous faces, they say ridiculous things, they keep us laughing non-stop. Share it! I'm thinking that 99.9% of people got on Facebook to stay connected with friends and family and if someone doesn't like all the pictures, they can hide it from their newsfeed. But the rest of us want to see the pictures.

Did you turn 57 shades of purple when you discovered the fruits of your loin, the twins ahem – children you so fervently prayed for even years before they were a twinkle in your eye, destroyed the amaryllis plant for which you've so meticulously cared for 8 years, and threatened to said children, generally speaking, that if they ever touch anything again in this world again EVER, they may not live to see 4?

*crickets*

Do you buy all organic? Or does "organic" mean anything that's edible and digestible? Either way, you're feeding your family.

Do you sneak into the closet to eat the last Cadbury egg so you won't have to share with your offspring?

OKAY FINE SOME OF THESE ARE ME!

Do you use cloth diapers? Or do you buy Pampers and Huggies in bulk? I've found that most kids will poop in just about anything. Neither saving money nor using something that's quick and convenient is wrong.

Did you handcraft your kid's Halloween costume last year months in advance? Or did you pick it up at Walgreens on the way to the party? They're kids...you took them to a fun party!

Do you slap on some mascara and gloss every morning? Or has your face not made contact with a make-up tool in 100 years? You're freaking beautiful regardless.

You're a MOM. And you're doing a GREAT JOB.

Do not ever let a Facebook post, Twitter post, blog post, meme, anything, or anyone make you doubt yourself or fill you with guilt for doing something or not doing something. Social media is a wonderful networking tool. But, it's also become an environment for bullying. Sadly, it's usually us attacking us.

Dude...being a mom is hard. KIDS ARE HARD WORK. It's not always pretty or perfect. You'll question yourself on so many things. But, we can't let THE INTERNET decide how we judge ourselves as parents. Y'all...it's the INTERNET. I mean...there are videos of goats screaming like people on here. (I'm not complaining...I have a few bookmarked.)

Do you love your child immensely...more than yourself? Would you give up anything for them? Would you give your life for them? That's ENOUGH. That's all. You're done.

And maybe also feed them.

Last I checked, and scientific studies have shown, nobody can do what you can do. No one has ever done what you've done. No one can fill your shoes. No one can dictate your role as a mother to your own children. People will judge their adorable little hearts out...you can't control that. But you can control how you feel as a mom.

You're doing a good job. Keep it up.