Balance or Responsibilities or Realism or.....life?

You know, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect. I mean, I'm responsible for a whole heck of a lot! I have these 2 little boys relying on me to teach them so they can grow up to be honorable men, that's a big responsibility! Not only do I have that responsibility, but I am also responsible for making our house not just a house-but a wonderful, comfortable, happy, {clean}, lovely, orderly home. Yet another big responsibility! Add in the responsibilities to teach piano lessons to a group of {great} kids and drama to a bunch of {troubled} teenagers......oh and don't forget teaching a lesson at church once a month to a bunch of {special} women who I worry all know more than  me....and before you know it, I start to make myself feel kind of inadequate as a woman/wife/mother/sister/daughter/friend.

 All of these responsibilities {which I have chosen with open arms by the way} can really be overwhelming at times, and that is where the special word BALANCE comes in.


Do you ever walk into someone's house and it is ALWAYS clean? No dust, no toys on the floor, no 2 day old veggie something-or-other crusted to the top of the dinner table where the toddler sits, fresh flowers{sigh}, super cool decor.... How does this make you feel? I'll tell you how it makes me feel: like I'm not doing something right. Shouldn't I be able to have a perfect house too? Well, here is where my A-HA! moment {special thanks to Oprah for that one} comes in: comparing  myself to others is not any way to live.


To further illustrate my point, a few quotes {because I LOVE quotes}

So my point? Balancing my responsibilities and looking at my life realistically is really the only way to go. I read this post over at the Mean Mommy Academy blog earlier today and thought, "man, this is so awesome!" {hence this post}

• My house may not be clean 100% of the time, but my kids will always be happy and entertained.

• My weight might not be budging much on the scale at this very second {yes, I am that concerned about it I say *second*} but I'm active and energetic

• My cooking skills may not be that of a professional chef, but they're a whole  heck of a lot better than they used to be

• My kids may still sleep in my bed occasionally....but I love the bond we share and know in a few years it will be tough to get a kiss from them in public

And I could go on and on.....and on.....and on......

But guess what?!

It's ok!!!  

That's right, I said it. It's ok not to be like those women in the 2-page spreads of Better Homes & Gardens that you know were staged just to take the photo. It's ok to not be as skinny as all those "Hollywood moms" who probably hate having to diet all the time because we all look at them and think, "gosh, she looks great for having a kid last week!" It's totally ok.

Totally.

So keep on keepin' on, and remember: