Friday, March 13, 2015

Falling Short #UseYourWords March 2015

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.






My words are:
vast ~ summit ~ expectations ~ rough ~ treat

They were submitted by: http://sparklyjenn.blogspot.com (Thank you for such great words!)

I always open the e-mail that contains my words for that month, with such excitement! I never know what words I will get or what they will inspire me to write. Each month is such an exciting journey. This month's words instantly inspired me, in two completely opposite directions. I am hoping I can merge the two into one, in a way that makes complete sense. 

As most of, if not all, you know, I am the mom of a wonderful little girl. Here on the blog, she is called Weewee. This will be changing. I will try to figure our her new name soon. It has been rough trying to decide what to call her. I was thinking about calling her Batman. Now, I am just not sure. Her Dad has called her Batman since she was growing in my womb. I tried explaining that she is a girl, but he didn't care. She has just always been Batman. I am worried this will confuse readers, and maybe make them feel she is a boy. So, I have not officially changed her blog name to Batman. 

Now, where was I?

Oh yes, I am the mom to the most amazing little girl. She is by far the best thing that has happened to me, among the vast array of great things that have happened to me. Some could argue that giving birth to her was my life's summit. It was definitely the highest point thus far. I am kinda hoping I go higher though. Like the day I watch her graduate from Grad School with her chosen degree, and starts down the road of making this world so much better. Possibly, her wedding day, when she marries the most amazing man I have ever met, other than her father. Maybe the day she gives birth to her own amazing child, and I get to be a grandma. 

We all have expectations of how our lives will be. Sometimes we are right. Other times we are wrong. Sometimes we find out our life far exceeded our expectations. Thus far, Weewee has so far exceeded any expectations I have ever had on what any child I would give birth to, would be like. She amazes me on a daily basis. She is so beautiful, inside and out. She is so young, but already shows some love and compassion. It has been a wonderful treat to watch her grow and learn. She is just the neatest little girl. I am so blessed, to be her Mama. 

I also had expectations of how I would excel at being a Mom. I have to laugh as I type this, because let me tell you, I have not even come close to meeting or exceeding those expectations. I fall so short. Most days, I find myself thinking about how Weewee deserves so much better. The beautiful thing is that she loves me anyway, and she excels despite my shortcomings. 

Some days, I feel really on the ball. I work with her on her vocabulary and make her laugh a billion times. I teach her new words and teach her silly things (like smelling her feet). I give her cuddles and kisses. We eat yummy foods and she gets her Elmo time. I stay mostly on top of the messes she makes. I feel proud. 

Some days, I can barely move. She eats the simple foods I am able to make for her. She has to come to me on the couch to play. We barely work on her vocabulary. I find myself telling her that I am sorry that I am not doing so well today, over and over. I fall very short on many levels, of being even remotely the mom I want to be. 

No matter if I am having a good day or a bad day, she treats me the same. She gives me kisses and hugs. She laughs at my silliness. She shows me tenderness and compassion. She looks at me, with this look that says 'You are MY Mama and I love YOU just the way you are'. Her dad constantly says, he feels that she can sense when I am not well, and she adjusts her behavior accordingly. She comes to me more, and requests me to join her less. She gives me more cuddles and kisses. She goes easier on me. I think he is right. I think she gets me.

As she grows, I hope that I too can get her. I hope I can understand her, just as she is. That I can help her to grow and learn, and to be the best person she can be. I hope I can inspire her to become the beautiful person she already is. 

I have fallen short on my expectations of what type of mom I would be, but I set my expectations of my future child very low. She is here, and she is proving my expectations to be very wrong. I had no idea I could create such an amazing individual. She truly blows my mind. I see such beauty in her, inside and out. She is full of love and intelligence and potential. 

I may not be able to do all the things I should do, but I will do my best. She is slowly teaching me to cut myself some slack. Whether I am on the ball fully or I am hitting foul ball after foul ball, this kid loves me. She is resilient and goes with the flow. She is already far cooler than I will ever be. 

I look around me, and see mothers of all types. I see dads of all types. I realize I am oftentimes not alone, in the hard on myself department. I see so many parents being so hard on themselves. I just want to hug everyone, and tell them that they are doing their best and they are good enough. At the end of the day, that is what I tell myself. No, I didn't get it perfect, but I did my best, and that was good enough. 

Who knows, maybe I have reached my life's highest point. Maybe giving birth to this amazing little girl, is the best thing that will ever happen to me. One thing is for sure, it is enough. She is enough. Loving her and growing with her is enough. That is one thing she is teaching me. Yes, I will always hope for more, but I will always be content in what I have. Yes, my life could always be better, but I will be happy in the life I have at this moment.

She is our miracle. She was supposed to be so sick. She possibly would not even survive. She did. She not only survived, but she has thrived. I am so completely grateful. She has taught me so much in the short time that I have been her Mama. She has taught me to love like I have never loved. Hope like I have never hoped. Appreciate like I have never appreciated. Accept myself like I have never accepted myself. Despite going through some of the hardest times of my life, and not being nearly as good as I want to be, she has made me better. 

Is that how it is for you, if you have children? Do they make you better, despite your shortcomings? Do you have a person in your life, that makes you better just by being in your life? I hope you are all just as blessed as I am.

As for her name... any suggestions? I do like Weewee, but certain people hate it. I do agree that as she ages, it won't be the best name. I would like to decide on a name that I can use now, and when she is older. Does Batman work? Some other names that have been considered are; Cookie, Munchkin, WGRB, Weebee... Do you like any of those? Any suggestions of your own? I would love input! 

Thank you for taking your time to read my post! Happy Second Month in a Row Friday the 13th! I hope your Friday is fabulous and your weekend is magnificent! Now do yourself a favor, go forth and enjoy all the other March 2015 Use Your Words posts!

Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

http://www.BakingInATornado.com                                 Baking In A Tornado
http://spatulasonparade.blogspot.com/                           Spatulas on Parade
http://stacysewsandschools.blogspot.com/                   Stacy Sews and Schools
http://batteredhope.blogspot.com                                        Battered Hope
http://eileensperpetuallybusy.blogspot.com/                Eileen’s Perpetually Busy
http://www.someoneelsesgenius.com                             Someone Else’s Genius
http://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch                    Confessions of a part-time working mom
http://www.southernbellecharm.com                                Southern Belle Charm
http://singlemumplusone.blogspot.com                             Searching for Sanity
http://sparklyjenn.blogspot.com                                        Sparkly Poetic Weirdo
http://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com                                          Climaxed
http://www.eviljoyspeaks.wordpress.com                                Evil Joy Speaks            

8 comments:

  1. THIS!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3
    Love this SO much!!
    There's this saying, "Behind every great kid is a parent that's pretty sure they are screwing everything up." It's the nature of parenting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think the greatest gift of parenthood is that we learn as well as teach.
    My guess is that even on your bad days, you're doing so much better than you think.

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  3. Loved reading this!
    Sometimes I think just being there is enough. No animation, no cupcakes, no toys needed. Just your attention.
    As for her nickname… If Batgirl is not an option, I'm pretty confident that she will invent her next name herself!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for sharing with us! You're a good mom because you love her and try. That's what counts. A nickname? hmm go with what fits her. My granddaughter is LMSP - little miss sassy pants from me, Monk from her dad-short for monkey and JBug from her step mom.

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  5. Ohh I love how you used my words to share a bit of your soul ❤

    You may have had your best day but something tells me your future has many better days with your little family.

    Batman is cool. Hermione? Chi-chi? Wonderwoman? Sparkly Poetic Weirdo?

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  6. I beat myself up for years thinking I could have done more, been more, taught my daughter more. At the end of it all, she remembers that she always knew she was loved beyond anything else in the world. That her Mama would do anything in the world for her, that I would die for her. I was her biggest fan. That's enough

    ReplyDelete
  7. I hate the pressure society puts on parents to be perfect - it makes us feel like we're in a constant state of failure. Arrrg.

    But YOU - you keep on being the parent you are, because you are doing something right.

    As for her name here on the blog, go with something that fits her personality. Or ask her what she wants to be called. That's what I did with my daughter!

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  8. I think, sometimes, what makes us better parents is the worry that we aren't doing it right and constantly adjusting or just plain trying to learn from our mistakes. My kids are amazing, to me anyway, and I'm not sure how they got that way since I know I have not been the perfect mom.

    ReplyDelete

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