Research shows, I'm a freaking great MOM!

Like all too many moms I spend a great deal of my day worrying about all I have done wrong for my child. Obsessing on what I should have done, what I did wrong, and all I didn’t get accomplished during the last 24 hours. The guilt of motherhood is not simply a featured article in Parent’s magazine; it is a reality for millions of moms, including myself. So, in order to bring myself out of the depths of the lovely pity party I was throwing for myself this morning (with streamers and everything), after another sleepless, restless night, I chose to look at my morning with a critical deconstructionists eye. After all, I am a researcher at heart. I should be able to examine motherhood the same way I examine a scholarly article, right?

It was after this process, and through some prayer, that I came up with a thought (the title of this entry) – Research shows, I’m a great freaking MOM!

Before 10am this morning, the following occurred. I grilled salmon for lunch, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers that, hello, I grew in the garden. Made a salad to take to church potluck, as to not partake in Grandma’s homemade macaroni, cheese, and heart-attack pie. Made vegetable spring rolls with quinoa for the same reason and even went online to calculate the exact Weight Watchers points, so I can eventually embrace the true thin person I was meant to be, nursed Georgia three times, had coffee with my Mom at Starbucks, made 2 dozen chocolate-chip walnut cookies (and hardly sampled ANY of the batter), sang “Happy Happy Birthday” fifteen times (Georgia’s current favorite song), did the “Dragon Tales” dance repeatedly while I did dishes, completed a load of laundry, knelt down and spoke gently as Georgia screamed in frustration “We don’t yell, we use are words, what do you need?” I then beamed with pride as she said “help me.” I took time to dress Georgia and myself (imagine), and even poured myself a glass of water with mint, lime, and cucumber (yep, from the Garden.) As far as I am concerned, I, and millions of other moms like me are heroic. Hey, that’s the way the evidence points! (Now, remind me to re-read this tomorrow!)