"You’re a Good Mom"

A few weeks ago I read a quote in a magazine that said “Behind every great kid is a mom who thinks she is doing it all wrong.” I loved that quote, saved a picture of it in my phone, and always am happy to re-find it when I’m scrolling through the photos in my phone. I think as women, and as mothers, we tend to be hard on ourselves. We see so many other awesome moms out there, and women on TV who seem perfect, that it’s hard to remember that everyone is just as human as we are, and we’re all just out here trying to do our best.

I was reminded again of this today when I read an awesome article called “Tell a Friend You are a Good Mama.” It really hit close to home, and I love the message she shared. I realized how often I admire the awesome examples of motherhood I see around me, but how rarely I share that with the women I see them in. I had a similar experience to some the author shared, where I was simply trying to entertain my son while I was waiting for a wedding to start, and apologizing to all the people around me while I let him play on the floor for the few minutes he could. Expecting everyone to be judging me, a mother of my friend turned to me and said “you’re doing such a great job, I can tell you’re a good mom.” The author of the article says it better than I can- “I was stunned. I actually wanted to cry and hug her but I barely muttered a thank you as I watched her walk away. It wasn’t a particularly hard day or trying moment but to have someone, a stranger, tell me I was a good Mama was everything I didn’t know I needed right then and there.”

In a world where we are constantly surrounded by pressure and high expectations, we could probably all say a few more compliments to other moms, and any one for that matter. Everyone could use a little more sunshine in their day, and I guarantee as you watch others and look for the good they do, you will be happier too. Go read the article, it says so much more than I can, but go tell a friend what a good job they are doing at whatever they do!