Hello My Name is.......Mom

Labels..... (**sigh**) Weather it's a job title, lifestyle, religion, race or political view, it seems we operate our life based on the "label" we wear. Naturally, that label becomes a part of our identity. But what if the labels were taken away? Who would you be? Would being just you be enough? Would you even like the label-less you? These are questions I find myself saying in the mirror as I shout to my kids to be quiet.

Mom. That's the current label I wear. Mom of 2 ridiculously good looking, sweet, well mannered, children of whom I love beyond words explanation. These same 2 little angels, drive me completely insane most of the time and yet at the end of each tiresome day I find myself wondering how I am doing in their eyes. Am I happy enough as a mom? Am I a fun mom? Do they miss me when they are at school? Do they notice how often I cry and yell? Am I ruining them by being so frustrated? Did they hear me when I shouted s*** after dropping my lunch on the floor? SOOOO many questions fall under this mom label. But, what if at the end of the day, I was just Jenna? What if I didn't let the "what ifs" and "should haves" flood my mind and I just said, "Good job Jenna, you did it! Another day raising humans!" How would that change how I parent?

You see, when we take on a label as part of our identity, we subconsciously (or sometimes consciously) have to live up to that label. It puts pressure on us to look and act a certain way. When you take the label away, whats left? You! The you without anything or anyone telling you what to be. For me, the "mom" label, is extremely stressful and I feel as though I cannot uphold the title well most days. I will always be mom to my kiddos. But I don't want to wear that as a label anymore! I can't possibly be a mom like other moms (Pinterest moms to be exact). I don't do a lot of things that I feel your "supposed" to do as a mom. It's ending up that I become more frustrated and angry as the days go by because it doesn't look like it "should". We have to stop "Shoulding" on ourselves!

So what am I saying? Your life will change beyond belief when you remove the labels and just be you! Keep your values and your morals. Keep the name mom, drop the exhausting label. Make sense? You are enough just being you! Happy Mothers day to all you mommies out there!

XOXO

Jenna