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Friday, May 6, 2016

Wishing You Perfect 7's This Mother's Day

Dear Moms,

I am blown away by the lot of you. And, full disclosure, I am also deeply jealous and intimidated by the lot of you; because when I see what you are doing, I am instantly convinced that I am wrong and you are right. For, there is no confidence or certainty in mothering or fathering. It is an endless crapshoot that often yields more snake eyes than perfect sevens; and it is your fierce perseverance to stay at the table and trust the dice that are both your children and you that sustains me in awe and propels me to place another bet. So many thanks to you all who:


  • Manage to keep your house clean
  • And for those who don't
  • Yell too much
  • Who move heaven, earth and rush hour to see a 15 second race because even though your kid won't let you cheer, they still want you there
  • Make a vegetable at dinner every night
  • Have no qualms about passing off french fries as a vegetable
  • Successfully limit video games
  • Use electronics as a babysitter because it has been that kind of a day
  • Sew, buy, or recycle last year's Halloween costumes
  • Bake masterpieces for the bake sale
  • Buy masterpieces at the Giant for the bake sale
  • Are up at 3:45am because you finally figured out how to get your child to achieve all A's, get into an Ivy League school and enjoy un-ending prosperity and happiness
  • Are up at 3:45am because you are desperately figuring out how to get your kid to just do at least one of the algebra problems
  • Use cloth diapers
  • Breast feed 
  • Use formula and Pampers
  • Spend the majority of your day in the car on the way to dance class, violin lessons, fencing academies, swim practice, tutoring, and beyond
  • Let your kids eat McDonalds in the car on the way to dance class, violin lessons, fencing...
  • Let your kids live with you while they look for that first job
  • Let your kids reimagine what lies beyond High School
  • Find a financial way to make it all happen
  • Pull double duty as Tooth Fairies, Easter Bunnies, Santa Clauses, Leprechauns, etc.
  • Sob messily in the car, bathroom, or hastily conceived private sanctuary of your choice
  • Video concerts you will never watch again
  • Post perfection on Facebook
  • Post flaws on Facebook
  • Post pictures of Tom Hiddleston and Ryan Gosling on Facebook
  • Worry too much
  • Work jobs you hate so they can do what they love
  • Take care of the pet they vowed to take care of
  • Enforce chores
  • Volunteer for anything
  • Turn underwear inside out because there just was no time
  • Love completely, parent imperfectly and celebrate that perfect seven when it happens
Happy Mother's day to you all. Forgive yourselves, applaud each other and let us all remind one another that we've never actually done this before. We are not supposed to be experts, just courageous, kick ass pioneers venturing into the unknown armed with a heart full of love and some unpredictable dice.

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