Mom vs Mom – Never Ending War

It's another battle of mom vs mom.  It’s a war that never ends.   Been around since beginning of time.   Who is a better mom?  Whose children are the most intelligent and beautiful?  Who does the job the best?  Who in the rat’s ass cares?!   

I read a blog entry by a stay at home mom yesterday. www.lifetimemoms.com/parenting/stay-home-moms-shut-up  The author, a stay at home mom, raised a new, uninteresting, battle.   #lifetimemoms.  Stay at home mom vs stay at home mom. The writer of this blog is frustrated with stay at home moms who complain how hard their lives are. How they have to be chauffeur, cook and accountant every day. The writer tells the other moms to shut up and do something.

I disagree with how this writer wants to pit mom vs mom.   But I agree with one thing- Stop Complaining and Do Something. If you are not happy, change how you're living. Do something different. Take a risk.

Would you rather spend energy complaining about what is, or take action for what could be.

            The real question is:   Are you happy?  Because if you are happy,

            doing whatever it is you do in life, your children will be happy too.  

           

I've been a mom for 9 years. I have two sons ages 8 and 9. I've been through the wars of working vs stay at home moms. I've had friends deeply hurt when others question their decision to leave their kids with babysitter while they work. I've had stay at home mom friends hurt when working moms question their value.  

I have now lived in both camps.   And guess what – it’s the same.   If you are not happy what you are doing in life, right now, stop complaining and do something.   A label does not define your happiness.   Successful lawyer mom.   School homeroom stay at home mom.   Your happiness is defined by yourself.   You can be happy wherever you are in life.    Whatever you are doing.   It’s how you connect with the moment.  

Since I’ve been a stay at home mom, I’m finding pleasure in the smallest things.   They make me so happy.   Take my garage.   It was the refuge for old toys, every single ball we own (about 100), enough pop for the Zombie apocalypse.   I would always trip trying to get anything in the garage.  It would look like I was playing Twister in the garage just to get leaf bags.  

I have spent about 15 hours cleaning and organizing the garage.   I’ve taken a leaf blower to it and blew out every single cobweb and dirt pile.   I put all the tennis balls in one container and the baseballs in another.   

Sometimes I open the door to the garage just to admire my work. I actually pulled my husband in to see it,  “Hey honey, look how good the garage looks!”   My husband gave me the strangest look.   He was happy because I was happy.  Plus he likes the garage organized.  

Organizing a garage is a bit different than cross-examining a police officer. Yet I feel the same contentment with a job well done with both activities.

Zen can be found anywhere.  When raking leaves, admire the leaves’ color.   The beginning of a new season.   Feel the crisp autumn air.   When folding clothes, feel the softness of your child’s  pajamas.   Laugh when you pick up the shirt they wore for picture day.   Feel what you are doing. Get into the rhythm of life. This is where contentment lives.

“If you don’t feel it, forget it.”  Waylon Jennings

These are words to live by no matter what we are doing.   Feel every part of the day.   Connect with it. 

We all have choices in how we want to live. We can either bitch or do something. I've always liked actions more than words. Plus I've heard bitching gives you wrinkles.