Dear Anxious Momma,
I feel you.
You're trying to balance it all.
The kids. The house. The husband.
Oh, and yourself. Yourself and ALLLL those feelings.
Everyone thinks you have it all together. They wonder how on earth you manage to be such a rockstar!
You smile... then comes the twinge of guilt.
Because underneath that supermom exterior is crippling thoughts of fear that haunt you at each moment.
Sure, distraction helps. So do breathing techniques. But sometimes... it escapes your grip.
And you spend most of your will and energy trying to prevent some unimaginable thing from happening.
You begin to overthink every parenting decision. You worry that it's too much. You worry it's not enough. Until you've pretty much concluded that either they end up in prison or become completely irresponsible and entitled 40-year-olds.
In attempts to release some control, you tell yourself that they have to experience struggles. It's going to happen no matter what. But when that thought spirals out of control, you wonder if it's any use at all! Is it even worth trying? You now feel complete hopelessness. Great.
And THEN...
You reach the point of such debilitating exhaustion that all you can do is just try to stay afloat!
.
.
.
The thing is, Momma, you love those babies more than a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g in this world. They ARE your world.
If you didn't love them so intensely, you wouldn't be fretting this much about their future. Right?!
Okay then. Here's what I have to say. My two cents.
First off, you're doing an exceptional job. I'm certain you're doing SO much better than you give yourself credit! Truly.
Yes, they will go through trials. It's inevitable. But with or without your help, there will just be certain things they will and are supposed to go through. How else will they learn? How else will they grow to become the people they need to be? You did it. And you're freaking amazing!
But that doesn't mean you should stop trying! In the end, your efforts will be recognized. Your best will be good enough.
"...no one has failed who keeps trying and keeps praying. You have every right to receive encouragement and to know in the end your children will call your name blessed, just like those generations of foremothers before you who hoped your same hopes and felt your same fears." -Jeffrey R. Holland
Also. Forget what Mary Jane is doing down the street. Who cares if you do things differently than your mother? And so what if so-and-so judges you for giving your child fruit snacks?
No one knows your littles like you do. Not everyone parents the same. And that's okay and such a good thing! Because no child is the same. So there's no need to compare. You're the perfect person to raise them.
"The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you." -Jeffrey R. Holland
And just because you have different ideas doesn't mean you are a bad mother!
And you want to know something I often forget? These precious little humans... they are children of God. They, too, have a Father in Heaven that loves them more than anything... They are His and He wants them to achieve ultimate happiness in life just as devotedly as you do.
So remember, He's on your side too. Waiting eagerly and lovingly to help you along the way!
I won't pretend I'm some experienced mother. I'm not. My kids have not even attended school yet! I pretty much know nothing.
But I have felt what you're feeling and... it's tough.
It's tough to put your WHOLE SOUL into motherhood and trust that it will all be okay..
But as I remind myself of these promises and hold them dear to my momma heart, I'm comforted.
It will all be okay. Everything works out in the end. It always does.
So will you join me, Momma? Will you remember these words of peace, too?
Let's remember to be present! To love every vanishing moment that our children our physically near us---Soaking in each giggle and cuddle. Embracing the hard. Cherishing the lessons. And continuing every good practice that we hope will help them in the long run.
We've got this. And Heavenly Father's got us.
