The Way I See it
Once upon a time, I was trying to be something called, "Supermom." You might have heard of the term. I tried to do the very best that I could at everything I could and I tried to juggle one-million-kajillion-kooplazillion things, some of which mattered but most of which in the grand scheme of things, really didn't. Inevitably I began to be a big, fat mom-fail at most and even all of them.
Or at least I thought I was.
But really I wasn't. Because I have such high expectations of myself and someone somewhere came up with the term "Supermom," so of course I believed that such a thing must exist and if I was going above and beyond at all times while a frazzled, dissheveled mess and still not achieving this "Supermom" status in my mind, then I must just not be good enough!I'm a failure as a mother! Right? (Do you think this? You know you do!) So to the person who invented the term, "Supermom,": it's a sham. Shame on you, it's a sham and a crock and I'll tell you why. Because along this motherhood journey, I realized a couple of things:
a. My job description alone makes me "Super."
b. At least two little beings in my household think I'm already pretty darned "Super," no matter what I do or how I do it and whether or not my invitations and party favors are "homemade".
I believe that the real "Supermom" is the average mom. The ones like you and the ones like me. The ones who have tiny little heart attacks every minute of every day over the safety of her little daredevils, the ones who lose sleep at night over the futures of these same little beings, the ones who nurse them through fears and colds and would do anything, give anything and be anything for that little person they love so much. That's Supermom, to me.
That's how AVERAGE MOMS WEAR CAPES was born. Because average moms do wear capes. Sometimes they're just hiding underneath our suits, tee-shirts, and velour track suits. But yes. That means you. And me. The whole lot of us. I have seen the capes of my girlfriends and I have seen the capes of the wonderful women in the blogosphere. You may not believe it's there, but trust me, I've seen it.
And if you don't believe me, I'll keep trying to convince you. Here's the sorry definition for Mother as defined by Webster's. (No offense, Webster's, but I think you're leaving a few things out.)
Mother. Definition by Webster’s:
Main Entry: moth•er
Pronunciation: \ˈmə-thər\
Function: noun
1 a : a female parent
Really? That’s it?
Oh, I don’t think so.
Mother. As defined and redefined by mothers everywhere:
Parent. Guardian. Nurse. Baby-whisperer. Provider. Primary food-source. Health advocate. Hunter. Gatherer. Protector. Artist. Personal trainer. Fitness instructor. Chef. Chauffer. Race-car driver. Safety Administrator. Boss. Employee. Secretary. Accountant. Math- English-Social Studies-History-Geography-Science-Etiquette teacher. Ethics teacher. Tutor. Astronomer. Tour guide. Hostess. Waiter. Photographer. Media specialist. Party and event planner. Designer. Hair stylist. Home Decorator. Personal assistant. Football-baseball-basketball-soccer player. Coach. Advisor. Personal shopper. Lifeguard. Swimmer. Gymnast. Dancer. Conductor. Singer. Referee. Mediator. Mentor. Friend. Writer. Mail Carrier. Coordinator. Vending machine. Activist. Organizer. Etc, etc, etc... (feel free to add something I missed!)
And that’s just our first job! That doesn’t even begin to mention our second jobs, you know, the ones outside the home?
So. I ask you, why are we, average mommies everywhere, still striving to be a “Supermom?” (And who made up that term anyway!) If you are a mom, you wear all those hats and more, so guess what?
You’re already a SUPERMOM. We are "average" en masse and we should be happy and proud of it! We should be supporting each other in our averageness and banding together -- we are all in this together! Safety in numbers!
That's my theory.
