Lessons I Learn As A Young, Mormon Mom 001

This isn't the first lesson I've learned, but it is fresh right now, so it is the first one going on public record.

There is NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT.

In this life, the word perfect is a mere figment, an ideal, a mirage, if you will.  There is no way to find that balance and keep it.  We have a day here and there of what we WISH and HOPE daily life would look and feel like, but it is not the norm, although we claim it to be.

Does that mean I stop trying to attain that perfection of a well-balanced home and family?  No.  It just means I don't have to beat myself up if I don't get it right all the time.  

Today I read an article directed to Stay At Home Moms (SAHMs), and I felt so honored and empowered. I felt like JUST being a stay at home mom was really as amazing as I thought it was.  All over the internet you will find one article or another defending SAHM's, and a few defending career moms.  Insecure much? Most women are, no matter what they do.  Moms are just moms, we make choices every day. And a good mom is one who does what she and her husband think is best for their children.  There is no right or wrong, only good, better, best, and that will be different for everyone.

The other day, a friend commented about how they couldn't do what I do.  She needed her life to be as it was, there was no way she could have her kids as close as I did.  I thought a lot about that over the course of the following days.  What I came to was, you're right, there is no way you could do what I do, you're not me.

I never thought, in a million years that I would have kids this close, or this soon.  But we like to think of ourselves as a God-fearing parents, and when the Lord prompted, we listened.  During each pregnancy I had my fair share of doubts as to my adequacy as a mom.  But I also had faith that if the Lord wanted me to have this child, I would have and develop what it takes to nurture and raise them the way HE intended me to. After all, I am raising God's children, not just my own, and I have been allowed stewardship over these sweet spirits.

There isn't a single right way to be a woman, wife, mom, sister, daughter, grandmother, granddaughter or aunt. Whether that involves working outside the home (as a mother) or not, the point is, that I take pride in what I do, and do it to the best of my ability. Most of all, it is important that I do what the LORD would have me do, and for me that is staying at home with my children. Sure I am able to work at home, but my first priority is to my family, as it is for most working moms as well.  You see, being a mom is hard, no matter how you look at it.  Whether we stay at home or not, we are constantly held responsible for how the house runs.  The home is our domain, it is our territory, and we are the fortifiers of it.  It is a heavy task, but it is ours, and others can only help.  No matter how much society tries to force men into this role, it is against human nature, the husband's role is to equally help and take partnership, but it is my primary role.

I personally believe that while children are in the home, staying at home during their most malleable hours, days, and years is essential.  Does that mean everyone can do this? No.  However, I also believe in the Atonement of Christ.  In cases where the ideal cannot be met, Christ makes up the difference. Grace isn't just for judgement day.  It is for here and now.  We do our BEST and Christ makes up the rest.  There is this Enabling Power to the Atonement, it allows us to see past the world's opinions and zero in on the Lord's errands for us in this day and age, and enables us to fulfill His will for us, despite our obstacles or challenges.

Here and now, I am a young mom, and I will never be perfect.  I will never match everyone's opinion of what a mom SHOULD be.  I can only DO my BEST to be what the Lord intended for me to be.  For right now, that is JUST a Stay at Home Mom (which includes, but is certainly not limited to: Wife, Mother, Taxi Driver, Nurse, Fitness Coach, Chef, Story Time Reader, Teacher, Referee, Horse, Hero, Villain, Imaginator, Friend, Daughter, Sister, Granddaughter, Aunt, Servant, Incubator, Butler, Housekeeper, Student, Grocery Shopper, Singer, Songwriter, CEO, COO, CFO... you get the picture, Trainer, Example, Project Manager, HR, and the list goes on...), and, I must say, I love my job!