A Shout-Out for the MAMAS!

​Mothers come in all shapes and sizes. Mothers come from every ethnicity, every sexual orientation, and from every socioeconomic background. We may have given birth. We may have adopted. We may just serve as maternal figures and role models to those who need us. We may work, or we may stay home with our children. We may be single moms, married moms, or harried moms. But this world wouldn’t exist without our mamas! And though we should be celebrated every second, Mother’s Day is that special day to give extra thanks.

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There are some days when we’re juggling so many different things, we don’t even notice we forgot to shave one leg until 3 o’clock. Sometimes we lose our patience – then feel guilty. Many times we’re daydreaming about bedtime at noon.
 
From the moment we hold our baby’s itty bitty hand, a mama bear instinct rushes in to the core of our beings. It should come as no surprise that women make up 75% of the nonprofit workforce. We’re wired to protect, to do good in the world, to nurture. We also understand that world change really begins at home.
 
Many of us struggle with work-life balance, thinking we need to be Superwoman every day. We should be able to easily get everyone ready for school, get ourselves ready, drop kids off, work a full day, pick kids up, dinner, clean up, laundry, chores, and repeat. No sweat, right?! Well, there’s sweat involved. It can even get a little messy…
 
As a mom myself, I can tell you I’ve wiped more foreign subject matter on my jeans without skipping a beat than I care to admit. Blood, tears, dirt, boogers… There’s the two second rule, the five second rule, and the ten second rule – depending on the circumstances.
 
What all this should tell you (and me) is that mothers are tough and quick on our feet. We’re master multi-taskers, listeners, lovers, fixers, and friends. We’re resilient.
 
And my Mother’s Day wish for you, my fellow mamas, is to give yourself a break. I mean it. Don’t worry about the dishes in the sink. Don’t try to please everyone else. Don’t feel guilty about the pile of laundry. And feel free to eat your dessert first.
 
We’re never going to get everything done, and guess what? They will still love us. Especially on Mother’s Day! All we can do is try our best each and every day and regularly remember to give ourselves, and the other mamas around us, a whole lot of love. We can work on walking our talk and continuing to shape and create the kind of world and workplaces we want to see. For ourselves, our children, and future generations.
 
All of us are riding the roller coaster that is life every day. Ups, downs, corkscrews and dips. Sometimes we’re laughing and waving our hands in the air. Sometimes we’re scared. Sometimes we can’t wait to get off, and sometimes we want to ride it again and again.
 
We tuck our babies in at night, gaze upon their sweet, angelic faces, and know…
 
That no one, would EVER pay to ride a flat roller coaster.
 
Love and laughter. Happy Mama’s Day!