Motherhood

My drawing of Mom
in her green feathers.

Donna Reed

One of my most memorable images of my mother was the day she returned home from the beauty shop with a glamour shot of herself surrounded by a fluffy green boa. I was in elementary school, or perhaps junior high, but at the time, I thought she was the most beautiful lady in the world, just as lovely as the Hollywood movie stars. In fact, my sisters and I have said many times that she looked just like Donna Reed from It's a Wonderful Life. It's interesting how we as kids saw her in this light, but alas, every child grows up and quickly learns there is no such thing as a perfect parent!

The same is true for me, being a mom of three kids. I've never come home with a glamour shot from the beauty parlor (I don't even go to the beauty parlor!), but I can be assured my children have held some inflated view of me being the perfect mom at some point in their youth, and that I sorely disappointed them. I am human and aim to do my best, but all of us parents have been humbled at the revelation that our best isn't quite good enough. No, it was only when I got born again and gave my life over to Jesus that the change in me became evident. My kids laugh about it now, telling me how they remember me going from a Type A perfectionist to a parent who became more laid back about cleanliness and tidiness (an aside - when I was a kid, I had so carefully arranged my knick-knacks and doo-dads on the dresser, that I could tell if someone had been in my room!) It didn't happen overnight, but slowly over time, I did become more relaxed and at peace and the entire mood in the house changed! Everyone benefited--not just my husband and kids, but even the dog!

No parent can compete with Donna Reed (or in my case, Carol Brady, from The Brady Bunch), but if we give our lives over to the Lord and let Him be in control, we can be assured things will flow much smoother than if we are manning the helm. Our heavenly Father is the ultimate, loving parent, and sets the standard for all of us to live by. If I rest in Him and refuse to worry or get in fear about things that will never happen, then the Friday Family becomes one happy bunch!