AMAZING

Recently I read a post from a blog I just started reading about women/mothers being AMAZING.  I loved the post.  It is truth.
Then today, I went out for lunch with a neighbor, and she half jokingly said that I was her "idol" as a mom.  "HUH!  WHAT on earth are you SMOKING?", was my first thought.
Funny thing is, I've been struggling lately with my role as mother, and feeling extremely bad about my mothering skills! 
I remember when I was a new mother, and I would go walking with a group of mothers in the morning for exercise.  I remember listening to them talk about how bad they felt as a mother and how guilty they always felt.  I thought it strange, since I had never encountered that feeling as a mother (my baby was about 6 or 8 months old).  At that time in my life, I felt like I gave EVERYTHING up, and gave, and gave and gave some more.  There was nothing left to give, so I couldn't comprehend how these mothers could even say they felt guilty.  It was beyond me. 
But I GET IT now!  It seems the older the children get, the guiltier I feel.  My weaknesses and shortcomings are more and more apparent.  I often get fearful that I am ruining my children with my crappy communication skills, and lack of patience.
Being a mother is definitely a journey.  It is helping me grow in ways I never knew possible.  I think we get better with time, all of us!  We learn new skills, and improve our whole life because of it.  I think that is one of the reasons why God intended for us to be parents....so that we could grow and learn and improve ourselves.
It's easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others.  It seems we base our weaknesses off of other people's strengths.  In my case, I do it with my mothering skills (and I'm sure MANY other areas of my life...HA!).  I see these unbelievably patient mothers, and wish so badly I could have that kind of patience.  I see other mothers who keep their home immaculate, and wish that could be me every single minute of the day.  I see other families praying and reading scriptures every. single. night, without fail, and wish I could keep to that schedule.  Basically, there are a lot of things I wish I could be better at.  And I really do believe that one day.....I will.....be better....in any area I put my focus in.  Thank goodness I don't have to be perfect now.  All I can do is try. 
And like this post states, we are AMAZING, because we keep trying.  We keep going and we don't give up, no matter what!
These children are worth all the blood, sweat, and tears. 

XO,
Amber