So you think I'm super-mom?

I can't seem to get away from the terms "super-mom" or "super-woman". Not that I am either, don't get me wrong, but I hear them often from other's. Sometimes directed at me, sometimes directed about other moms. What a fallacy. The idea that I can do it all, all the time, all alone is a feat that is unattainable. I'm usually the first to say that I am no superwoman. I'm not really comfortable with accepting such praise partly because I know the truth. Some days run more smoothly then others as with anything. There are days that I may appear to have it all together, juggling the kids, the home, the responsibilities of the day. But those are the "good" days, and in reality, appearances can be deceiving. I have found that as moms we are often comparing ourselves to the other moms around us. I often hear and know from experience that at times we see ourselves as failing this whole motherhood thing, while all the other moms out there have it all together and are doing a great job. Well, the truth is that we are all the same. There is no perfect mom, as there is no perfect person. This idea that I'm not a good mom is a lie. If you weren't a good mom, you wouldn't care or even think this way in the first place. It is a thought, a feeling, that only tempts you to isolate yourself from others. That isolation then leads to depression, loneliness and hopelessness. There is freedom in knowing that I am not alone. Today was my last MOPS meeting until September. I love MOPS. It has been such a great support group for me as a mom. Not only have I gleaned so much from the other moms I have met but I have been able to share my life with them too. God created us to be in community, to be in fellowship with others. We weren't created to be alone, by ourselves. Some of the women shared how they too love the support they get from being around other moms. One mom said she thought we were all perfect when she first came but now sees that we are just like her:) Another mom shared how she was sitting on the floor of her home one day and just sobbed while nursing her infant, meanwhile her other 2 kids were playing. She was waiting for her husband to come home so she could tell him she was ready to go back to work and he could stay home with the kids! Aren't those just a few of the many thoughts we have all had at one time or another? No matter how different we may be individually, we are all sharing the same struggles and joys as moms.