My son said something to me tonight that resonated deeply. He said, “Mom you’re like Wonder woman. You always come to our rescue”. As flattering and sweet as that sentiment was, it hit me like a half ton weight and this is why.
Listen don’t get me wrong, I love that in the eyes of my child he thinks I’m pretty awesome. Hey, that’s like the ultimate win in my books! High fives all around! His sentiment struck a different chord though, that’s the “Super Mom” label.
I’ll be the first to admit, I for one am no “Super Mom”. In fact, I hate that label all together because it implies perfection and the inability to make mistakes. I’m sorry but, the path to motherhood is built upon mistakes and blunders. It’s not as if the day you give birth, you are also handed The Book of Motherhood: Answers to All Things Mommy. We begin learning the moment our baby is placed in our arms and we are responsible to keep this little human alive. Um ok, I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but that was a profound “holy f*@#” moment for me. And just when we think we have it mastered, the circumstances change and we need to learn a new skill, technique, etc., etc., etc.
I don’t want my kids growing up thinking parents are perfect, holding us on some pedestals. I want them to grow up seeing and loving a mother who has flaws and imperfections. A mother who is capable of making mistakes, but graciously learns from them. A mother they admire not because she had it all together, but because she didn’t and still tried hard to do things right. A mother who, above all else loved them. A mother who taught them, in the words of Eric Wilson, “to be human is to be beautifully flawed”. If I can succeed at this, then I think I will have succeeded in being a pretty good Momma. That folks is what it’s all about!