You are not alone

I’m on the leadership team of my local Mothers of Preschoolers group, and we’re starting our new MOPS year this month.  I LOVE this year’s theme, which is A Beautiful Mess.  It’s true that a mother’s life is messy.  It’s a physical mess, with toys and piles of laundry strewn about.  It’s often an emotional mess, especially in those times when we feel lost among the endless demands of others.  And it can be a spiritual mess, when we lose sight of the big picture.  It’s easy to forget the magical in the face of the mundane.

Let’s face it: As women today, our plates are full.  Between playing chauffeur, negotiating play dates, and simply keeping up with life, it often (OK, always) seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day.  We barely have time to breathe, let alone take a little time for ourselves to relax and recharge.  And in the midst of screaming kids and piles of dirty dishes, it’s easy to think that we’re alone.  Alone in our struggles, alone in our fears, and alone in our lives.

But the truth is, we’re not alone.  Despite their appearances, women everywhere (and in our own neighborhoods) are struggling with the same things.  Sure, we put on a brave front and go about our business as usual, sometimes thinking that everyone else has it together and we’re the only ones who can’t juggle it all.  But if you could go behind the blog of other women’s lives, you’d see many of the same struggles.

And just to set the record straight, in case you’ve ever wondered 🙂

• You are not the only woman who feels worthless sometimes.
• You are not the only woman who hides in the bathroom for 10 minutes of peace and quiet.
• You are not the only woman who yelled at her kids on the way to school.
• You are not the only woman who has skeletons in her closet.
• You are not the only woman who worries how the bills will get paid this month.
• You are not the only woman who has a mountain of laundry in the living room.
• You are not the only woman who wonders if her marriage will survive the next year.
• You are not the only woman who wonders if God is really listening.
• You are not the only woman who’s struggled with depression.
• You are not the only woman who feels guilty and inadequate.
• You are not the only woman who has regrets.

You are not alone.  In fact, you’re in really good company.  As you embrace your beautiful mess, explore your life’s story and let it shine.  Your real story.  Your entire story.  Let’s embrace authenticity, and the freedom to say, “I SO don’t have it all together!”  You’ll find we have more in common than you may have thought.  And that simple confession may just lift the burden of perfection off someone else’s shoulders, as she gives herself freedom to be a mess, too.  After all, we’re all a mess.  But we’re a beautiful mess!
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