Thanks!!!

I wanted to say thank you to all those who commented so sweetly on my last blog. I will try and thank you all on your blogs, but I haven't had time yet to do that. I was having a very hard time and it was so nice to know that I'm not the only one. I think women talk about how they are feeling more than men because we want to know that we aren't alone in feeling sad or frustrated.

So many people out there put on a brave and happy facade when they face the world. I know that I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one who has problems. And I wonder why everyone else seems to be functioning so well while I am struggling so much. I think that from some of the responses I got to the last post I can generally assume that most women in the world go through similar struggles and commiserating about them brings sanity and a sense of relief.

I don't think anyone on this earth is perfect or has everything perfectly together, why should we hold ourselves up to that standard feeling like worthless women because we mess up or fall down a few times. I was talking with my mother and she was talking about how she struggled when she was a young mother and how she did so much wrong. I of course assuaged her fears and let her know she did a great job and I am grateful for what she did for me. She came back saying that there were a lot of times when she knows that she messed up and didn't do it right.

The truth is that not one of us who is a mother or even a person for that fact can unequivocally state that we never do anything wrong. The best and most together mother I have ever met messed up real big once and I know she was scared and embarrassed that it happened, but the kids were ok and the truth is that it gave me hope. If someone so incredibly without fault and with amazing kids can make a mistake then it's ok for me to make mistakes sometimes.

We all know that the most we can expect from our children is that they are constantly trying their best. Why shouldn't that be our rule too? If we are trying our best and doing the very most we can...well that should be enough.

I just think we should all be honest about our struggles. If we let someone know that it isn't all peaches and roses and that life sucks sometimes it can help people to feel less alone and scared. I was always told growing up that marriage wasn't picture perfect and that it is dang hard even if you are doing it right. That made me realistic about what I expected from marriage and the truth is that it has made me happier with my husband and my marriage. It is the same with children, if you tell people that children are always the brightest part of life, then you are setting someone up for failure. Yes children are wonderful and they do make life brighter and happier and inspire love that you didn't know existed...but they are hard. And raising them right means that they are going to tell you that they hate you and they are not going act like they love you all the time.

Let people know that your life isn't perfect. I know mine isn't. I love my life and wouldn't trade it for anybody else's. The same goes for my husband and my children. The truth is though that some days I can't stand my children, can't look at my husband and sometimes I have to leave the house for a girls night out or I feel like running away.

Sometimes we are all we have, women are the only ones who will ever understand women. We need to be there for each other and I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all the women who were there for me this last week. I needed to know that you are there and that you understand.