She Was Perfect

By Mary Mansbach

You see her on social media.

She just did that Pinterest craft you barely had the time or energy to look at online last week. Her kids were involved yet her kitchen was spotless and she executed it with precision.

Every video you see her house is spotless, her kids are clean and she is put together when it seems you can barely put one foot in front of the other.

You saw her at the grocery store last week and her cart was full of healthy,
organic, dye free options that you know your kids wouldn’t eat. How does she do that? How does she get her kids to eat that?

You’re focused on making sure your kids at least have clean clothes to wear and she is out there taking the family pictures with the perfect smiles and matching outfits.

The comparison game, the age old story we tell ourselves that we can
always do better.

But you don’t know the story.

The mom with the perfectly behaved kids in public are anything but at home.

Just before that perfect picture she spoke through gritted teeth to please just smile one time.

She is productive.

Of that there is no doubt.

But no matter how productive, how clean her house is, how put together her kids
are.. she is never good enough.

She looks at the things left undone when she goes over her to-do list with enough tasks for 10 people to complete. Yet, she has the expectation of herself to knock it out in one day while still “remaining present” for her kids and family.

She focuses on making life for her kids wonderful; after all she has their childhood in her hands.

But throughout all of the output her chest is tight.

At any moment, she knows it can all come
crashing down.

She can never get rid of the thoughts in the back of her mind about howshe is not good enough or that she has done something wrong. f

Ironically, you are comparing your life to hers and all she wants is your recognition of her accomplishments.

That old saying, “be kind for everyone has a battle you know thing about” sounds cliche, but, in reality, you don’t know the internal dialogue that your Facebook friend, neighbor or checkout lady at the grocery store are telling themselves.

Just like they don’t know that you are in
a state of depression.

Getting up and having your kids safe, fed and clothed is all you
could do today.

But guess what?

It’s enough.

And you know what, the comparison game you keep playing robs you of the victories that you fought for, even through gritted teeth

Because, while the Facebook photo might have been tough to get, the looks of love on your children’s faces when you smile at them comes naturally.

#Motherhood