(From July 2016)
Did I mention that, in high school, I got 49% in home economics? Yes, that's true. I hated cooking and I hated sewing. I mean why did I need to sew a makeup bag? Why did I need to learn to cook? Plus, my Chinese mother (cough.. ahem.. Tiger Mother) just told me math was important. Ha. Typical right?
No one told me that, one day, I'd have a baby girl and would love to sew for her. Even if they told me that back then, I wouldn't have cared. Perhaps they should have told me I could make AWESOME unique clothes for MYSELF?! Maybe then I would have loved to learn to sew. They never tell you WHY you're learning something in school. They just tell you to do it. I must remember this for when my kids are older and wondering WHY they're studying something.
Anywa.y...I digress. This post follows my previous one about everyone's live looking perfect on Facebook and other forms of social media.
I was discussing what being an "ideal mom" was with a girlfriend tonight. We discussed how moms are so hard on themselves, striving to be what is "ideal", what the media portrays as ideal. No one is perfect and we can't compare ourselves to others and expect that we live up to expectations of what the "ideal mom" is. I mean, yeah, the ideal mom is a combination of all the things I see in my friends and on Facebook. My friend "T", who cooks up a storm for her husband and kids and bakes the most amazing cakes and decorates them like she's on that cake decorating show on the Food Network. The ideal mom is also my husband's cousin, "N" who is a school teacher and, of course, as a school teacher, she must know how to raise children with patience and empathy. The ideal mom is my friend "A" who has SIX children. No that was not a typo. She has SIX children and somehow is able to watch over them all by herself during the day! (wow!) The ideal mom is ... this person and that person.. all combined.
If I dwelled on this, I would drive myself crazy. But I know I'm not perfect.
I can't cook. I can't even microwave.
I microwaved a whole egg the other day. Yes.. I put the whole egg in the microwave and expected a delicious breakfast in return. As I sat down to think about what to write on this blog tonight, I heated up my soy milk in the microwave for 5 hours and 55 minutes instead of 55 seconds. I'm glad the "bang" I heard was the fireworks for the 4th of July and not the cup exploding!
I'm not perfect. And that's ok.
Know what?
I'm AM perfect. In the eyes of my babies, I'm everything they need.
And you... you are perfect too.
(Dedicated to all my friends who don't think they're enough on some days. you know who you are. And you're perfect).