What you’ve got to do…

Have you ever had one of those moments when you found yourself crossing your fingers and reciting your prayers that the “Mommy Police” would not show up at your door?! Because you found yourself in one of “those” moments. When, as a mother, you made an executive decision to do what you had to do...to s.u.r.v.i.v.e.

~Maybe your little ones had Fruit Loops for dinner

~Or a certain little babe kept dropping her food on the floor, so you let her sit there, and eat it off of the carpet, piece-by-piece

~Maybe you skipped naps for the third time this week, because you find getting those wound-up cuties to bed is a bit easier when they are a little more tired

~Perhaps you have found yourself cramming everyone into a vehicle to drive around and around (with a Starbucks pit-stop) until the crying stops, and only sweet, restful breathing fills the emptiness

~Just maybe filling your bed with three extra little bodies (and all their accompanying snoring), piling in, early in the morning, is a necessary trade-off for anyone to get some sleep right now

~Perhaps chocolate bribes are the only way to get a room cleaned up when your back is aching

~Or maybe promising a free toy-pick amidst an unplanned grocery trip, is the key to suppressing any indications of possible tantrums

~It might be that mismatched socks, a bright pink tutu and a lopsided pigtails were the way to go for today’s outfit, because the fashion adventure was much easier than the early-morning battle

We. have. all. been. there. Compromising. Falling to our knees at the mercy of a toddler. In the middle of the cookie aisle. Sweat rolling down our faces. Prayers flying up to Heaven. Yet, we still continue to judge. Even if the thought (or words) never leaves our mouth. It’s an inherent quality that many of us find secretly shameful, yet we can’t quite let it go…

~”Why in the world would she do that?!”

~”Mom-of-the-Year Award right there…”

~”Is she even fit to raise those children?”

~”That. is. not. how. I. would. have. handled. that. situation!”

But…have you ever stopped, mid-Walmart parking lot, to take a minute and really think about what’s going on with the mom raising her voice at her children as she tries to buckle everyone up in the hangin’-on-to-its-last-wheel mini-van? That maybe she is running on fumes. Or that she is currently out of work and desperately searching for a job to help support her family. Maybe she has a “strong-willed” child in the back seat pushing her buttons, until they are near broken. Or that she is it; on her own, keeping it all together. Perhaps, she is just plain and simply doing. the. best. she. can. do. right now

Have you ever thought that possibly, instead of judging, dropping your jaw to the floor and muttering under your breath, that maybe what she really needs is for someone to whisper in her direction, “Being a mommy is hard work, huh? The hardest job in the world. Hang in there, momma. You are doing great. Things will settle down soon.” Of course, while there are certain situations where questions and eyebrows are worth raising, most mommas are incredible beings. And sometimes, the last thing they need is a judgment session, at the mercy of a complete stranger. Most of us have probably experienced the sting on the receiving end of that situation.

How much would it really hurt to replace those callous criticisms with a word of encouragement? A genuine smile? A pat-on-the-back? A helping hand?

We’ve all been there, sweet mamas. Giving in to the beckon call of a two-year-old. And melting in embarrassment all-the-while. Mothers have to be some of the most creative beings on Earth. Because they have to be equipped to handle any-and-every situation hurled their direction, 24 hours-a-day. Sometimes, you just have to swallow your pride and do what you’ve got to do. To survive. To keep your sanity. To make it through the day.

So before you pick up that first stone, take a moment to think…is that really the right move? Is that really m.y. move to make? What kind of ripples may follow? And instead, let’s try to support and revere one another as the incredible assembly that we are. We need all the encouragement that we can get…