Dear Perfectly Put-Together Momma'!
Dear Perfectly Put-Together Momma',
I wanted to take a moment to fill you in on a few things. Even though I know that you may NEVER see this beautifully written letter to you, I wanted to make sure it was out there just in case some day you are scrolling through Facebook and it crosses your feed you KNOW just how I feel about you.
Now I realize that our brief encounter lasted all of probably 20 seconds, and you are probably thinking that I am about to judge you the way that you judged me as you peered over your Prada glasses at me and into my cart. (Nice choice of eyewear, by the way, they really bring out your brown eyes.) However, that isn’t my style and since I won’t judge you for being perfectly put-together while shopping I did want to take a minute to explain why I was not.
It is simple.
I am NEVER put-together. Ever.
Yep, you saw me in sweatpants, a tank top, with wet hair like I had just come from the gym. Believe me, I hadn’t. I was, however, running a marathon through Wal-Mart like an episode of Super Market Sweep because I LITERALLY had 22.5 minutes, yes PRECISELY that time frame to SHOP, pick up prescriptions, check out, get home, unpack it all, change, get ready, make sure my Middle Little had ALL his football gear and BE in another town for Noon for his football game.
You guessed it, I am a single Momma’ Bear.
No, I didn’t ask for this role, but as luck would have it this is how the cards were dealt and I’ve embraced my duties with not only grace but a certain amount of style as well. Hence the Tank Top and Sweatpants, I like to blame that on the “Dad” side of my “put together” days.
I couldn’t help but notice that you scanned my cart as we passed one another in the aisle. If I had the time I might have done the same to yours, but since I didn’t well what you were buying will forever be a mystery to me. If you hadn’t guessed I have two boys, hence all the amazing snacks in my cart.
Believe me, those Oreo’s aren’t for me. They were a special request from my 5-year-old the minute that Halloween stuff started rolling out on the shelves. Personally, I am not an Oreo person, more of a windmill cookie lady myself.
Regardless, my cart full of awesome Single Mom Stuff probably didn’t compare to your family size cart full of coolness and guess what; THAT IS OK! We parent different, and not a single one of us is the same. Not even a little bit…
Yeah, I sometimes run into Wal-Mart like the world is on fire and shop like my life depends on it, because as a single mother, well sometimes it does. Every single moment counts in my world. Even the smallest of them.
Some days I have it together, most days I don’t.
W hat I can tell you is this: I have 3 Littles. An 18-year-old daughter who is learning to spread her wings and fly. Watching her leave the nest, and CONTINUALLY grow into the woman that God has intended for her to become is scary, BUT I trust the process. Then I have two little men and never once have they EVER left my house without knowing that they were LOVED, APPRECIATED, and THAT WHEN THEY GROW UP JUST LIKE THEIR BIG SISTER HAS THAT THEY CAN BE ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT TO BE IN THIS WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD AS LONG AS THEY BELIEVE AND WORK HARD!
I may not have it all together ALL the time, but I do have it together ENOUGH of the time & that is OK with me! My hair might be a mess, there is most likely SOMETHING on my shirt, LORD knows I’m going to trip over my own feet at least twice during the day because it is just what I do, BUT I’m good with all of that. I've learned to embrace the hot mess that the Good Lord has made me! :)
However, I just wanted to take a moment to appreciate YOU and to let YOU know, that I’m PROUD of YOU. You got it all together and were perfectly put together before you left your house. Do I wish I was you? Nah. I am pretty content with my crazy, chaotic, sometimes upside down life. I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way!
It wouldn’t be a day in our lives if someone didn’t spill something as we were headed out the door, the cat didn’t escape out the front door as we were trying to leave, or if someone didn’t forget their glasses on the bathroom sink and remembered AS we were pulling into the school.
It is just kind of who we are around here.
I know it sounds chaotic, probably because some days it just might be. It is just the joys of Single Parenting children. You make do with what you have, hope for the best, and ride out the storm on a surfboard for the rest of it. If you don’t laugh you will cry.
Speaking of, that roll of cookie dough you saw in my cart was to replace the one I ate the other morning while I sat cross-legged in my bathroom. Yeah, I had to take a 10-minute breather and recenter myself after my 5-year old told me I was the “Worst Mother Ever and he was moving to a new house” all because he didn’t like THAT blue “Ambercrombie” shirt he wanted the OTHER blue one.
Believe me, when I tell you the child is FAR from spoiled, he just had a REALLY bad case of the MONDAY'S going on! (Insert Eye Roll)
So I had 10 minutes to myself in the bathroom with tears, cookie dough, a spoon and a coming to Jesus before school started.
Hey, believe me, Sister Girl – It happens.
So Kudos to you for having it all together – I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I NOTICED YOU LOOKING ALL FABULOUS!
In a world where the rest of the population is running around judging one another and being hateful, I thought I would be the one in a million to do the opposite!
You are looking good Sister Girl – You are looking Good, and SOMEONE noticed!
Oh! The smile I gave you as we passed by, well that was genuine! I hoped it brightened your day as much as it did mine to share it with you!
Much Love to you Well Put-Together Momma’! Much Love!
From a Momma’ that will most likely NEVER EVA' have it all togetha’!