Yesterday I needed a little something different to pick me up so I brought my affirmation deck of cards to work. I do not know who authored these quirky little cards but they are awesome. My family has been reading them before we start the day, and they are always good for a smile or a laugh, many times both.
My first mom picked the card that read, CONFIDENCE. “In this moment, I take a step back and look at myself with the pride of a good mother. I see an abundance of abilities and talents that show up all the time in big and little ways. If I could stick myself on the refrigerator, I would. I would invite all the neighbors over and say, “Look at that. Can you believe what an A+ that is?” “
Tears immediately fell. This mother has a nine month old with very complicated health issues. She is also raising two other children and has a husband. Her daily calendar does not have a moment that does not have appointments and notes. She cannot catch her breath. Her patiences and time are in short supply. She feels she is falling short.
My second mother to pick a card out of the 50 card deck, also picked this very same card (and no, I did not rig it). As she read the card her eyes lit up. Coincidentally, we had just been talking about letting go of the guilt around not being as present as she wants for her children. This particular women has been fighting every day to come out of a severe postpartum mood disorder. She has persistently followed every recommendation of her health professionals over the past year and she is not quite at the finish line. Every day she shows up and brings her A game, though it may not look the way she imagined.
The third person out of four yesterday to pick this “CONFIDENCE” card randomly was me. The ironic thing is that, in this deck of cards, this is the only card that mentions motherhood at all. At the beginning of the day when I picked the card I was sending my daughter off to school. I was feeling kinda flat. I too, struggle with confidence some days. I too, want to believe that my abilities and all my effort make a difference. There are days when I feel my energy and effort are evaporating into thin air.
In life there are so many times as mothers that we are exhausted in our efforts. We are pushing ourselves mentally and physically to take care of the needs of our families and trying to take care of ourselves at the same time. It can be frustrating and defeating especially when most of us have such high exceptions and a tendency towards the picture of perfectionism our society markets and fosters.
We all need to be reminded that our abilities, our talents and our efforts are being put to good use and they are appreciated and noticed. I personally believe that God was helping all of us yesterday hear the message that our persistence and perseverance are not lost. That our efforts do not always result in the perfect picture, and that our love and work can take on many forms. So put down your expectations of what the results of your effort should look like and put your own A+ on the refrigerator, you deserve it.