Some Days

Some days, I feel like Supermom. (And I'm not talking about the bakery at SuperAmerica.)


My spotless, luxurious cape flows gently in the breeze behind me.


I efficiently and effortlessly whisk my two girls off to a doctor appointment after feeding them nutritious breakfasts and dressing them adorably in trendy outfits. They are clean and content and well-behaved. I stop for a moment to soak up all the Happy in my life.


"What good parents you are!" "Look how cute those girls are!" "You make it look so easy!" These are the cries of astonishment from the masses as we effortlessly Parent our children. We joyfully journey home in our family vehicle, singing educational songs and oozing love for one another. "I love you, Mommy!" "NO, I love YOU, Josie!" Meanwhile, Eve plays and smiles in her carseat, the waves of bliss crashing over her, helping to form her into a generous, caring child.


Eat your heart out, Hallmark.


I valiantly toss my beautiful cape over my shoulder and usher my children into the house, prepare yet another delicious, healthy meal for my smiley, cooperative, little ones, while keeping my kitchen spotless, putting away dishes from the dishwasher and opening the mail, all at the same time. There is no task that I cannot handle - for I am Supermom!


Then. There are the Other Days. The days when my cape is a little dirty and frayed at the edges. It falls in my face, gets shut in the bathroom door and trips me as I drudgingly move from one Chore to another.


One girl whines for no reason while the other makes messes of everything she touches. All I want is a shower and clean underwear, but there is no time, and the laundry has not been touched in what feels like a month - even though it's probably more like a week. I step in cat vomit while trying to identify moldy leftovers in the fridge and assembling unpaid bills in "now" piles and "next paycheck" piles.


Time to prepare another meal. We cook, clean-up, cook, clean-up. "I want ketchup!" "I need a napkin!" "I'm wet!" It never ends. Annoyed, I push my cape aside and wipe runny noses and disassemble Megablock towers left in the living room.

My temper is a bit short. I speak a bit too sharply. Don't put my full effort into reading all of the books or stacking all of the blocks. A bout of crying pounces on my last nerve and then kicks it in the shins. And I feel guilty about everything all the while. What if my lack of skills on this day shape my children into vandals, scoundrels, brats or social misfits? How will I live with myself?!

Okay. So I'm being a bit dramatic. Most days are... good. Some days are great. And some... not so great. Through it all, I wear my "Mom" cape. It fits better on some days than others. It doesn't get in my way as much on some days as it does on others. And there are a lot of days when I wish that I could "do more," could "be better." But as long as I'm "doing," as long as I'm "being" a mom, then I think everything will be okay. And I put those words in "quotes" because they differ from day to day, from person to person. I don't think there is an all-inclusive definition for doing more, for being better. If there is, please tell me. What I have to remember is that the ferocious love I feel for those girls is the same on the good days, the great days and the not-so-great days.

I have lots of Mom-Friends, and some soon-to-be Mom-Friends. And each and every one of them never ceases to amaze me. Most I have known since long before we became moms. We vary in personalities, abilities, backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses... but the one thing that doesn't vary is the cape. As tattered and worn as it may be some days, we all wear it with pride.