Not for the faint of heart.

In celebration of Mother's Day, I thought I would write a few words on how being a mother is nothing like I expected it to be. I am sure that I have nothing new or insightful to say, but it is my sincerest wish that you will enjoy my thoughts. That's right, my sincerest wish. Can you tell I've been reading Pride and Prejudice again?

I always assumed motherhood would be hard. Surely it had to be a lot of work to do all that mothering stuff like changing diapers, washing faces, wiping noses, etc. I knew it would be hard, but I was not prepared for just how difficult it really is. The thing that is the hardest is that it often seems like every other mom except me has this down. They seem to be able to take care of their children in an effortless manner. I have several theories on what is behind the phenomenon.

Theory Number 1: I stink at being a mother. This is my least favorite theory because I don't like the idea that I could actually be lousy at this whole mothering thing. Since I did go to college, am able to hold a steady job, and kind of maintain a house (emphasis on kind of), I just think this theory is incorrect. Which leads me to....

Theory Number 2: My kids are the worst kids in the history of all children and I deserve sainthood for raising them. Okay, maybe not sainthood, but could I at least get a small amount of beatification? The problem with this theory is that my kids, although challenging, are really awesome kids. They are funny, smart, silly, and sweet. As such, they cannot possibly be the worst kids in the whole world. And thus I present...

Theory Number 3: All the other moms in the world are faking it. Well maybe not all of them, but the vast majority. They go to bed exhausted just like I do. They get letters home from school, just like me. Their kids drive them crazy, confuse them, terrorize them, and keep life interesting, just like mine do. They just put on a good face so that I don't suspect that they are also figuring this parenting thing out as they go. It makes me wonder if to the outside world I too seem to have this all under control. Perhaps my smoke and mirror show is more impressive than I think it is.

I have come to terms with the fact that I may not have it as together as other moms, or at least not as much as other moms appear to. I'm okay with that because I wouldn't trade my kids for anything. As challenging as Connor has been is, you can't beat his wild sense of humor. Sophia now screams every time she isn't getting exactly what she wants, but you can't resist her smile when she wakes up in the morning and sees you.

Kids are a lot of work. We don't raise them for our own glorification or joy. We raise them so that there can be a few more good kids out there. We raise them in fear and admonition of the Lord so that they too will serve their neighbors in love. We teach them about Christ, we teach them about marriage, we teach them about love, joy, sorrow, fear, anger, and faith. We teach them all these things and then send them out into the world in hope that they will meet someone whose parents taught them these things too. Someone with a good mom.

Happy Mothers Day to all moms out there. Thank you for your tireless love and devotion to your children. Feel free to slack off a little over the next couple of days so I'll look better by comparison.