To The Mom Who Feels Like a Failure
Dear Mom Who Feels Like a Failure. This is for you if your laundry pile is taking over your house, and you feel overwhelmed. Life is messy and hard, but there is grace for those messy moments. You aren’t alone.
There are seasons of life that are amazing. We bask in the blessing of that season. Sure there are hard times, but the feeling of being overwhelmingly blessed is always close at hand.
Then there are the seasons that are hard. Even if we accomplish all of our goals and dreams, the hardness of that season overshadows the blessing. We feel like a failure.
Recently, this was my life. I could never seem to get ahead, questioned if my kids knew how much I loved them, and looked in the mirror, not recognizing who was looking back at me. This wasn’t how I envisioned how my life would go.
I counted every single thing I did wrong and failed at. It is so easy to remember all the bad things. SO easy.
Am I alone? Does everyone else really have it all together?
This is for you, who like me, feels like a failure.
To the Mom Who Feels Like a Failure
Look at you rocking at life. I know. It doesn’t feel like you are rocking at life. You feel more like a sinking ship.
You aren’t alone.
Last night I rushed to get everyone into beds because it was one of those days. I just needed quiet. To not be touched. To sit and not get up after 5 seconds to wipe a bottom.
After sharp words and hurried goodnights, everyone was tucked into their beds.
I sat down and the tears started flowing.
I failed them.
There was no pointing them to Christ. No fruit of Spirit present as I wasn’t patient nor kind. While my words were, “I love you,” my actions sure didn’t show that love.
Motherhood is hard.
Being a Mommy is all I ever dreamed about growing up. While I wanted to go to college, my desire was to get married, be a Mommy, and stay home with my babies. I had been babysitting since I was a young teen. How hard could it really be?
I had no idea.
Maybe you’re right there with me.
Your laundry pile is the size of Mount Everest. You’ve tried to get into a routine but just getting behind one-day snowballs. Before you know it, you are recycling clothes and starting a load just to have clean underwear.
You know that everything would go more smoothly if you could just get up before everyone else in the house, but you can’t. That cup of coffee every morning is your best friend and is desperately needed to get through the day. But that “friend” also keeps you up until the wee hours of the morning. You hit snooze and wake up to your little alarm clocks jumping on your head.
Desperately (affiliate link to a great book) yearning for community and people to share life with, your days are consumed with littles from morning to night. You have nothing left to give.
Crumbs are taking over your kitchen, but you just swept. Dishes are never-ending. Six o’clock comes and panic sets in every day. You resort to breakfast for dinner. Again.
You had high hopes of homeschooling but wonder if you really made the right decision. Doubt has crept in. Will my child ever learn to read? Write well? It’s taking everything in you to finish the school year well.
But you aren’t a failure. Even when you fail.
Even when it feels like you can’t do anything right and you want to just run away {or at least hide in the closet and eat Cookie Butter by the spoonfuls}.
Life may be messy and hard, but there is grace.
Grace for those hard moments.
Take those thoughts captive. If they are not true, noble, right, pure, lovely, or admirable, let us not think on them.
Don’t fixate on the failure. Turn your eyes on Him. You are not a failure.
When Everyone Else Seems to Have Their Together
Let’s not compare your life to the lives you see on social media. Put on your blinders.
Remember that this is a season. It won’t last forever.
When life gets overwhelming and you can’t breathe, ask for help.
Talk to your husband and a close friend. Apparently, other people can’t read our minds. Did you know that? Talk about your struggles.
Sometimes you just have to stop what you are doing and have a dance party or put Mickey tattoos on everyone.
Most importantly, remember that He is enough.
18 years old and 3 kids. 🙂
I was 33 when I became a mother and I have two handsome boys!
Motherhood is hard, and messy, and sometimes brings about sharp words and hurried days. But it is so satisfying, so worth it, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! Thank you for sharing your letter and being ‘real’ with us. We all need to hear that we aren’t the only ones, and it will be ok.
I know I am late in commenting on this post, but what touching words. My kids are grown up and I have grandchildren, but your words brought me right back to “those days” when my girls were young and things were not so easy. You have a great message and a great way with sharing it.