What makes a great mom?
It isn’t a clean nursery. It isn’t a perfectly organized closet. It isn’t a successful career, or flawless cooking skills, or a consistent self-care routine. Great moms aren’t defined by whether their socks match, or if their makeup is perfect, or by the way they never get overwhelmed driving the school/work/work/school commute over and over and over again.
More often than not, great moms might have spit up, or smushed peas, or finger paint, or tree-climbing leaf bits in their hair. Sometimes, they’re raising families by themselves. Sometimes, they are loving babies and big kids and partners and parents all at once.
Great moms have silly laughs that fill up rooms, and brave tears that fall when they need to. Great moms can be quiet. Great moms can be loud. They can be shy or the life of the party. They can be serious or the biggest jokester around.
Great moms have soft hugs, sometimes squishy tummies, sometimes strong muscles, sometimes sleepy eyes.
Great moms can often be found running back inside for the third time to grab a forgotten library book. They can often be found frustrated in traffic as they race to daycare pickup. They can be found in health food stores and fast food lines, in playgroups and board rooms, in beat up old station wagons and snazzy new EVs.
Great moms aren’t always tidy, aren’t always perfect, aren’t always right. Great moms have hard days and great days, good friends and tough losses, joy and grief and play and work, sometimes all at once.
Not all great moms have great moms. Not all great moms became moms on purpose. Most great moms don’t feel like great moms at least some of the time.
Great moms can be messy, and messy is beautiful. Great moms might have perfectly pressed pleats or paint stains on their jeans. Great moms might always have everything they need in the diaper bag, or find what they need as they go. Some great moms might stick to the bedroom routine, some great moms might take everyone for pancakes at 8pm.
Great moms know that being a great mom isn’t about doing it right. Being a great mom is just about one thing - love.
Loving your little ones with everything you’ve got. Letting them love you back in return. Loving your partner or friends or family well. Letting them love you back when you need it most.
Love is the secret, and joy is the home you’re making.
Here’s to every great mom this Mother’s Day, in all of the forms great moms can take.
Here’s to never being perfect.
Here’s to being your baby’s first definition of love.