Less Than Perfect

I love books like I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy and Somebody's  Daughter by Ashley C. Ford. Often, we are so busy portraying the resemblance of perfection that we forget to be real.  

McCurdy says, "Why do we romanticize the dead? Why can't we be honest about them? Especially moms. They're the most romanticized of anyone."

We tend to romanticize folks who have passed, old relationships— even current ones. 

Ford says, "My mother wasn't perfect. Our relationship was complicated, and difficult. She was my imperfect mother. We were two different people,  and found that hard to accept in one another. But I was hers and she was mine. That's how it had always been. Who would I be, if not hers? I didn't want to be without her."

Mother-child relationships are complicated; hell, all relationships are complex because we see the best and worst in people and decide to love them anyway.  But this love stretches far beyond just mother and child.

I have been mothered by a warm wave of women that have ebbed and flowed through my life. 

The Sisters who sowed in, sacrificed, and covered me.  

The Grandmothers who gave it straight and gave abundantly. 

The Cousins that held me up, shared with and loved me. 

The Friends who helped me see myself and be myself. 

The Aunts who supported and poured into me. 

The Friend's mothers who scooped me up.  

The Mentors who schooled me. 

My mothering did not stop or end at my mother. And I hope I have mothered those I love in ways I hope will not be forgotten.  

This is for...

The Motherless. 

The Childless.  

The Siblings who experienced different childhoods in the same household.

Those who struggle with doing motherhood the "right" way. 

We're all just trying to figure it out; however, one of the best things about adulthood is deciding our boundaries and who we strong-arm. Not everyone deserves access to us, which applies to a child, partner, or parent.  

So let us celebrate those who have mothered us, give grace to those who were/are less than perfect (including ourselves), and build moats for those from whom we need a little protection or distance.  

Goodies

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