I recently read a book called House Rules by Jodi Picoult. I didn't especially like the book but I did really like this one passage she wrote about real mothers. It struck a chord with me and I thought I'd scrap it so I can look back at it when I'm in a period of self doubt.
"When did they stop putting toys in cereal boxes? When I was little, I remember wandering the cereal aisle and picking my breakfast food based on what the reward was: a Frisbee with the Trix rabbit's face emblazoned on the front. Holographic stickers with the Lucky Charms leprechaun. A mystery decoder wheel. I could suffer through raisin bran for a month if it meant I got a magic ring at the end.
I cannot admit this out loud. In the first place, we are expected to be supermoms these days, instead of admitting that we have flaws. It is tempting to believe that all mothers wake up feeling fresh every morning, never raise their voices, only cook with organic food, and are equally at ease with the CEO and the PTA.
Here's a secret: those mothers don't exist. Most of us-even if we'd never confess-are suffering through the raisin bran in the hopes of a glimpse of that magic ring.
Real mothers know that it's okay to eat cold pizza for breakfast.
Real mothers admit it is easier to fail at this job than to succeed.
If parenting is the box of raisin bran, then real mothers know the ratio of flakes to fun is severely imbalanced. For every moment that your child confides in you, or tells you he loves you, or does something unprompted to protect his brother that you happen to witness, there are many more moments of chaos, error, and self-doubt.
Real mothers may not speak the heresy, but they sometimes secretly wish they'd chosen something for breakfast other than this endless cereal.
Real mothers worry that other mothers will find that magic ring, whereas they'll be looking and looking for ages.
Rest easy, real mothers. The very fact that you worry about being a good mom means that you already are one."
Jodi Picoult (House Rules)
Credits:
From the March BYOC:
Woody Bits World of Wonder and Hoot Sweet by CD Muckosky
So I Never Forget Pocket Page Protector kit and Color of Happy Papers by Valorie Wibbens
Mumbo Jumbo 3 Alpha and Splatterific 5 by Karah Fredricks and
Petalicious by Kaye Winiecki
Also: the Brainchild font by Heather Hess and Highlight Brushes from Amy Wolff
TFL
~ Tiki ~
