I have always loved the book “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” and now my kids love it, too. I’ve been thinking I need to write a version for moms based on my own daily experiences. Like the day I attempted to make a phone call using the tv remote. Or the day I grabbed the bag of potting soil instead of dog food and then poured it into the dog’s bowl. Or the morning I learned that while it is true that a watched pot never boils, it does help to turn the burner on.
As a mom it is so easy to feel like all I am some days is a giant pair of hands just there to make the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or apply the band-aid, or push the swing. On those days I feel like I could probably be just as effective of a parent if I recorded a cd of my most frequently repeated sayings (“food goes in our mouths”, “don’t forget to flush”, “please don’t bite the dog”) and just saved myself the trouble.
These are the days I remind myself that parenting is a calling. It requires my full attention and so much more than a repetition of phrases and mindless activity. I love that the Bible tells us “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Is there anywhere that this is more true than motherhood? There are no raises for doing well, not a lot of people will pat you on the back if you’re “successful”, and there isn’t even a guarantee that if you did everything right your kids would turn out okay. We have to be working for something greater than an earthly reward.
And when those rough days come, keep reminding yourself just like Alexander did- “Some days are like that. Even in Australia.”