Loving every moment

At the gym today, I overheard a woman gushing about how she “loves every moment” of being a mom. I think her positive attitude is commendable, but I wonder if she’s really being honest with herself or if her proclamation is the result of the societal pressure we get to be Super Moms. It’s days like yesterday that remind me I really don’t love EVERY MOMENT of being a mom.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore my kids and would go to the ends of the earth for them, but I’m not a huge fan of toweling off after holding my drooly, snotty 6-month-old who is rocking a serious cold while teething. I could probably lend him to Djiboutian farmers and offset their irrigation requirements by about 30%. His nights have been fitful because he can’t breathe, which means little sleep for me. He hardly naps during the day, so I have a grumpy, sleep deprived, uncomfortable baby on my hands. On top of that, my toddler has discovered the ability to pinch and squeeze to the point of discomfort and her favorite target is the back of my arm which is bruised and scratched. She also loves to grab her brother’s foot and squeeze until he yelps – probably due in part to the amount of time I’m holding him thanks to this cold. Precious, right?

It doesn’t end there, either. I love my husband and don’t tell him often enough how much his support means to me, but there are days that no matter what he does, I still feel unsupported, underappreciated and overworked. I would like to say that on days like this, I almost resent being a mom, but I know that wouldn’t be completely accurate – there’s no “almost” about it.

It’s not as if these moments detract significantly from the joy I get from being a mom – they are blips on a huge canvas on which we are creating a beautiful picture. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to remember to take a moment to gaze upon and appreciate that picture. Hell, some days I don't have time to shower or eat! More importantly, I think it’s totally normal and completely healthy to have these moments like I’ve described above. There are precious few jobs where you don’t come home feeling like your boss or co-workers have raked you over the coals or thrown you under the bus or that your customers have been unreasonably demanding, so why should the “hardest job in the world” be any different?

So, moms, take heart. Rest assured, you can be (and are) anamazing mom and not LOVE EVERY MOMENT. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and try to envision that bigger picture. Oh, and you’ll probably want to grab atowel because your left arm is covered in slobber.

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