Thursday, August 7, 2008

Being a Mom

I've had a really rough week. Most of the time, I consider myself a pretty secure person. I know I'm not perfect, but I know that I'm a good mom and I have a good marriage. I'm extremely blessed but sometimes, when I least expect it, something in me breaks and I kinda fall apart. I was standing in my neighbor's living room today, I went over there to borrow a vacuum because mine broke (and I'm OCD about CLEAN) and I told her that my week was not so good and I almost burst into tears. This is not normal for me. I'm not really a crier, I'm a butt kicker. But if you had met me this week, you woulda thought I was a basket case.

As most of you know, I have to work. I don't mind working, I have a great, low stress job with extremely flexible hours, but it's always hard in the summer when the kids are out of school and someone else is watching them. Luckily my wonderful, nearly perfect sister-in-law has been watching my kids this summer but sometimes I get to feeling like I'm not doing enough or worse, I'm simply not enough for my kids. My sister-in-law jokes that when I'm home I never sit down, I'm always doing something, which is not always true, but I feel like if I sit down then I'm less of a mother. I should be making dinner, doing laundry, making beds, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, whatever. But then I remember the time when all five of my precious kids were sitting in a circle under the tree in our backyard, eating popsicles and talking and laughing with each other. I watched them through the window as I cleaned my kitchen floor. Was I a good mother then? Why didn't I go out and join them?

Now they're getting to the age where they don't need me as much and I feel like I wasted time. There's a song in the movie Mama Mia where Meryl Streep sings about time slipping thru her fingers and she says something like "We made so many plans, some things we did but some things we didn't and I don't remember why." Those things I didn't do with my kids, was it because I was doing something I thought was so important?

Tomorrow's another day where I can make it right. Right?

4 comments:

Joy ~ Kurt said...

Ariane!
Its good to hear that you are human! I have felt those very same feelings in my life! It seems that sometimes you just have to POP! I have the same problem of going, going, going! We should make a goal to just take 1 time during each day to just "BE" with our kids! Thats is really what they seem to love the very most! Everything else can wait and WILL wait! :)
Love ya girl!
Hang in there!
~Joy

Nancy Mackey said...

I stay at home, and I feel the same way. You know what I hold to my heart? Playing the board games, playing barbies, snuggeling them while we watched a movie, watching them cut up paper while I scrapbook- It's still hard- I tell myself that since I'm home, I shouldn't be missing anything- I should get up at the crack of dawn and have EVERYTHING done so I can do nothing but pay attention to them ALL DAY. But the truth is it is better for them to have balance- time with Mom to know they are loved and special and time learning how to play just with themselves or other kids. Hang in there!! The truth is that if you are worried about it, your probably doing a great job!!

The Halls said...

How many times have I wondered that today?! I struggle all the time with that...especially that I work from home also and do it during the day...one of my girls said to me the other day "it is hard for you to take care of us and work at the same time, huh?" It breaks my heart that they know that it is hard, but I am doing the best I can...I know you are too...my biggest concern in having 4 kids is that I will love them all equally...I think that is the biggest challenge for all moms...

I don't blame you for crying...I do it every once in a while too...

Neika Boulter said...

Oh Ariane! There must be something in the air! Me and so many moms are having a hard time knowing that we are good parents. Someone left a comment on my blog that said, "If your worried about being a good enough mom, that means you are being a good mom", RIGHT? You are so great to all of your kids. Hang in there! Don't let the house take control. Remember cleaning your house while the kids are still growing, is like shoveling the snow when you see its still snowing!!! luv ya