Appearances are everything...

aren't they? I received a call from a friend who wanted to pay me a compliment. She said they were talking about mothers and trying to come up with what a "good" Mother would look like. Her husband said... "You know Ann... She always throws great birthday parties for her girls, she has a can do attitude, and .... " basically he saw me as the ideal mother figure... Um wow! Me? It's funny to me to think about this image that family has of me. I see them at church, and for the awesome birthday parties, softball games in the summer, and various other events. I personally think his wife is one of the best wives and mothers I know. She is so patient, sweet, and thoughtful. I feel bad because I feel like she doesn't see this and I know she doesn't see me at my low points. She doesn't know that my dishes pile up in the sink for days at a time, laundry doesn't get done until people are completely out of socks and underwear, and that for those birthday parties to come together I am a NIGHTMARE to be around the week before! Family photo shoots stress me out so badly that the entire family DREADS them and I have a feeling a few of them self-medicate before showing up. My oldest loves to sleep in her clothes and go to school in them the next day (often her Monday morning clothes were her Sunday clothes). Yet they see me as the ideal mother figure?
I think the lesson to be learned here (besides the fact that I need a maid) is that we are much harder on ourselves than we need to be. We are always striving to look perfect to others when really we already do... there is no need to compare ourselves to the next family because we are all doing what is best for our families at that point in time. So kick up your feet, grab a glass of mommy juice, and relax... the dishes can wait :o)