There's Always Something

The advantage to becoming a mother a little later than most everyone I know and then becoming a mother again MUCH later than most everyone I know is that I know better. I really do know better. And yet, the awe still strikes.

Sometimes I'll set at dance or cheer or whatever function and wonder how it is that all of the other mothers have it so much more together than I do.

That woman has perfect hair. This one over here is never late. That one is so cool under pressure. Another one has a beautiful house that's always so clean and amazing. There's always the one mother whose kids seem to be angelic beings who do no wrong. And that mom? Man, she has it all together. ALL. OF. IT.

I don't.

Most days my hair is barely combed. My clothes are always wrinkly or rumpled. My shoes are worn and dated. The house is a disaster zone. Mila runs and screams and escapes and is generally a nut in public. I almost never know what day of the week it is, not to mention where we are supposed to be and when. And some days? Some days Alexis is talking back and Mila is screaming so I just stare at my phone, completely unable to figure out how to deal with the cacophony of needs.

Recently there has been this one mom in my line of sight who just SO has it together. Her hair is absolutely amazing and her clothes are so perfect. She's in shape and gorgeous and her best accessory is her smile. When I talk to her, I feel like part slob and part idiot because MAN is she smooth. So smooth.

So flawless.

Except.

Except that sometimes Alexis mentions something in passing and I realize I haven't been seeing something that was right there in front of me. If I uncover a couple of layers, it's right there -- the most perfect woman's daughter is a jerk.

Like, really. A bona fide jerk who says terrible things about people, draws mean pictures, and the like. She's the mean girl that everyone avoids but that no one confronts because it's better to ignore her and stay out of her line of sight.

She's so mean. Once I looked, I could see it. It was really very obvious.

So while that woman seems to have it all together and perfect, there's always something. No matter who you are, there is something in your life that isn't going as well as you would like.

There's no flawless.

I know that, but sometimes I need to beat myself over the head with it.

Comments

[ann]

So true! I tell the high school aged students I teach that no one's life is perfect. It may seem perfect to you, but everyone has their stuff they have to deal with.

That mom reminds me of a neighbor I had when my girls were young. She was drop dead gorgeous with a genuinely sweet disposition, had two cute kids (boy and girl, of course), really good looking husband, killer wardrobe and a beautiful home. Her daughter was one of the meanest, brattiest little girls I have ever met. It was painful to be around that child. I may have danced a happy dance when her husband was transferred to another state, with a big promotion and to an even more beautiful home, of course!