Pajamas at Swim Lessons
Monday I took Josephine to swim lessons in my pajamas. The entire outfit wasn’t pajamas (I had on leggings and a cardigan to class it up) but I may or may not have slept in the tunic I was wearing. Either way, it’s not something I would wear to work or even the grocery store, but I was tired and just wanted to be comfortable. I had gotten off work at noon and had been going nonstop until her lessons at seven. The fact that I left the house again was in my opinion, deserving of an award. Needless to say, I took my sweet child to swim lessons in my pjs. And I have no regrets.
As I’ve stepped away from so many hours at work and more hours at home, I’ve tried to figure out what kind of ‘Mom’ I want to be. Do I want to be the kind of Mom that wakes up and cooks her kids a hot breakfast and a hot lunch? Do I want to be the kind of Mom who bakes a fresh batch of cookies every day and has a glass of milk waiting? Do I want to be the Mom that rushes out the door, hoping the kids have their lunches and folders? Do I want to be the mom who’s not a baker but will donate money for every event? Truth is, on any given day, I’m all or none of those moms. Some days I’m really concerned about what my kids eat, if they’re getting enough sleep and exercise and if the medicine they take for allergies is really a government plot to track them. Other days I pray that they’re okay with grilled cheese and popcorn for dinner and couldn’t care less if their socks match.
After seven years of parenting I’ve come to the conclusion that the best mom I can be is the one who’s okay with who she is – even if she’s navigating life on only Jesus and coffee. The best mom I can be is the one who doesn’t body shame herself, especially in front of her seven year old daughter who’s less than a foot shorter than she is. The best mom I can be is the one who reminds her children to be kind to others and tells them about the goodness of Jesus Christ.
I know that I don’t have it all figured out. But what I do know is that wearing pajamas to take my daughter to do something she loves and is good for her body is not the worst thing in the world. And I’ll probably be buying more tunics so I can do it more often.
Until next time…