When I arrived at the church, I immediately spotted my three year old daughter, Rachel, sitting in our usual section. She was wearing a mismatched outfit, of course(I have accepted that my husband cannot match colors), and her swimming goggles. Goggles. At church. I knew the goggles were a new favorite of hers, but to wear them to church? Okay, I figured at this point I had two options.
Option #1: Get angry. Chew my husband out for letting her wear the goggles to church, and tell him how much better I would have handled the situation.
Option #2: Laugh and move on. She did look cute, after all.
I chose option #2. It was pretty funny, and it wasn't worth causing a fight with my husband.
Many of our friends at church approached me and expressed their amusement. They thought it was simply adorable that Rachel wanted to wear the goggles. They were also amused at the fact my husband allowed it. One woman commented, "I wish I could be the kind of mom who would let my child do that and not get angry about it." I don't remember what my reply was, but I wish I would've said, "Why can't you be that kind of mom?"
It wasn't hurting anyone that Rachel was wearing the goggles, and our church is casual dress, so it wasn't a big deal. Motherhood is stressful enough, so why do we let the little things(like wardrobe) get in the way of our enjoying it? In ten years, will I remember each pretty dress Rachel wore to church? Probably not. But I will remember the goggles, and I'm going to get a good laugh out of it.
I haven't always been able to respond in this way. There have been times when I thought what my child was wearing was very important. Important enough to fight with my husband over it, and stress myself out to the point of depression. But in the past two years, something amazing has happened. With the help of my very laid back husband and two imaginative kids, I've seen the light. Motherhood doesn't have to be a drag! I don't have to compare myself to the other moms or worry about what they are thinking of me. Being a mom is challenging and rewarding, but it can also be a lot of fun. And I don't know about you, but I like having fun!
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