A Pat on the Back

Being a mom is hard.  It's cliche to say that it's a "thankless" job.  It sounds whiny, so pretend I didn't say it.   I noticed this morning, as I got the kids on the bus for school, that I was giving myself a little pat on the back, because HEY, I got the kids on the bus for school!    Getting everyone up, fed, brushed, dressed, snow-clothed, lunches made and back packs packed and out the door by 7:40 am, while the baby is screaming and wanting to be held.  It's HARD!  It's a monumental struggle each and every day.  And when the kids are successfully on the bus - with or without matching gloves - I give myself this little "you go girl!"  And I feel like a good mother.  Momentarily.  For all my internal self-awarded gold stars, it occurred to me that getting the children off to school is not an accomplishment in anyone else's eyes.  It's just EXPECTED.  ALL the moms do it.  And probably do it far better than I, with less frantic yelling, with less chaos.  The same is true when I make dinner, help kids with homework, do the laundry, decorate for Christmas, make cookies for the school bake sale,  when I change the sheets.  I feel like I'm working HARD, and I'm patting myself on the back for that effort, and I realize that...  not ONE other person on the entire planet considers any of these things even remotely an accomplishment. It's simply my job.  Expected, nothing unique because there are many moms who do the same things, and do them better than I.  And here I am, saying "YES!  I DID it!", feeling like I just hit the winning home run, or climbed Mt. Everest or something.  There should be crowds cheering, banners flying.  Because I'm putting THAT level of effort into it,and I feel like the job is THAT hard.  Despite it's unglamorous ordinariness.  And yet, I look around this mess of a house and realize that even that effort isn't enough for the job.  I can't EVER keep up with the laundry, or the dishes, or the mopping.  Getting the kids to practice the piano, do their homework, eat with SILVERWARE.  This Mom job.  It's a tough gig.  Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, but I have to admit that it'sa heck of alot harder than those days I go into the office and put in a full day "at work". At least there I get feeback,  appreciation, respect, a PAYCHECK.  

So, to all you mom's out there,   just know that I KNOW that every night your children are safely asleep in their beds, it's because you have done countless, anonymous things to make that happen.  And I'm here to say "YOU GO GIRL".