Monday Morning Door of Opportunity

  There's just something about Monday morning that is very different from the rest of the week.  It is even different from Monday afternoon or Monday night.  It always feels like a brand-new beginning.  And it is wonderful to have that opportunity for new beginnings every single week!  I know that for many of us, the first of every new year brings a renewed sense of energy and optimism.  But I really need that chance to start all over again more than just once a year!  That's because I typically have so many goals for each day and each week, and I work so diligently to achieve my self-imposed expectations, that I rarely succeed.  Now, that is an issue that I struggle with constantly. But as a mom who has talked to lots of other moms, I know that I am not alone in this "expectation trap." 

Just the other day I was chatting with a friend who was expressing her feelings of guilt, frustration, sadness, and exhaustion as she attempted to figure out what she was doing "wrong" as a mother.  Sometimes she didn't say the right words, or she was too tired to cope with an argumentative teen-ager, or she felt that perhaps there should have been something, anything, that she could have done differently that would have made everything "right."  The guilt that we moms carry around in our pockets and in our hearts is enough to choke the proverbial horse!  Of course, when we are wrong . . . . we are wrong.  And when a mom makes a mistake, she should have the courage and the integrity to own up to it, admit it, and ask forgiveness.  But something that most of us moms completely lose sight of is the fact that, NO, mothers are NOT responsible for every thing that goes wrong in the world!

But just remember, that is exactly what our kids will try to tell us because they are kids.  Life is so much easier when we have someone to blame.  And mom is always the easiest target for all of that dumping of guilt.  Partly because we are so willing to take it and try to fix it.  But I guess I've lived long enough, and been a mom long enough, to know that we need to teach our children how to have the integrity and courage to own their own "junk."  So, if I did it, I'm responsible.  But if someone else "did it," then they need to take responsibility for it . . . . . whatever "it" is.  It's just way too easy to blame mom, because after all we know that "when mama's not happy, no one is happy."  However, sometimes "mama's not happy" because she is drowning in false guilt and trying to figure out how she became responsible for everyone and everything in the universe . . . . . and blame and guilt is a very heavy burden to carry around in those pretty pockets in mama's apron. 

So, I love Monday morning.  I get to walk through that door of opportunity and learn from my mistakes and become the woman that I know I can be.   I get another opportunity to teach my children to be strong, independent, and courageous people of integrity.  And take responsibility for their own junk!

Comments

[Amanda]

LOVE your take on Mondays!!! Also, I feel ya on the "Mom" thing, and I only have a 2 yr old... must just come with the territory...

Thanks for stopping by my blog, and for the encouraging comment. If there is anything I can do to help you get your business going again, let me know!!!

[Marie]

How very inspirational!

This is a very lovely blog, and I love the soft lens/soft borders you put on your images. Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you come by again.

[Annette]

I feel the same way about Monday mornings! In fact, it takes me longer to get started on Mondays because I spend the morning thinking about and re-evaluating the previous week and setting new goals for the coming week.

Thanks for visiting my blog and the kind words! I hope you come by again soon!