The hard things mommies do...

There are moms and then there ARE moms.  I would say anyone could be a mother, but since I couldn't give birth to my own children, I suppose that wouldn't be 100% true. The world is full of different kinds of moms. We come in all ages and shapes and colors. We have different backgrounds and various occupations.

Many moms do try to be good moms. They are the unselfish sort of people. They are the ones that get vomited on, peed or pooped on, spit up on by their children. The ones that stay up way late at night sewing something at last minute that just NEEDS to be done. They drive around town taking kiddos here and there. They cook and clean for their families. They might even have wardrobes from a few decades ago because they have been too busy shopping for the new clothes for the kiddos (cause they seem to keep growing overnight!)  I'm pretty sure you can picture the moms that I'm thinking about.

Then there are the great moms. What makes them great?  They do those really hard things because it's the right thing to do. They do it without awards or being noticed. They do those hard things even when every inch of their body is trying to pull out of doing the right thing. It takes discipline, it takes some accountability from really good friends, it takes a huge heart for your children. It takes a mom who can stop from getting angry and maybe just laughing at a situation. It's a mom who loves a foster child but has to let them be reunited, all while keeping the rest of the family "pulled together". It's a mom who seeks help when out of control instead of continuing to spin further out of control. It takes a courageous heart for me to face my children's birth mother.

Sometimes people tell me what a great thing I am doing. Sometimes they tell me that I'm doing a great job. Often, I feel clueless as to what I'm really doing. Maybe I'm only good at this because I am structured. I really believe that God picked these children out just for me. Cause we just so gel together. I don't think of myself as a great mom. I am a goofy mom. A strict mom. A loving mom.  I wouldn't say that I am great but perhaps I can find moments of greatness. I love these children and doing the right thing, even when hard, expresses that deeper love.

What hard things do you do as a momma? Be sure to give yourself a pat on the back or some kind of chocolate. Being the momma is hard.