Sometimes, I want to reach deep within my soul, shake it around a bit and say, “Wake up! You are doing a great job!”

I have to remind myself that it’s okay if my teen’s room is a disaster and bowls have been missing from the cabinets since November.

It’s okay if I said I was going to have more patience today but then lost it halfway through dinner because no one was listening to me.

It’s okay if my teen hasn’t been themselves.

It’s a normal teenage phase to hibernate in their room only to come down for meals.

It’s okay, if I wanted to spend more time with my husband but then by the time the evening was done, all I truly wanted was some alone time.

It’s okay to find joy in my teen’s laughter, and then feel frustration over the little things.

It’s okay to feel like I am a rock star mom one moment, and then plop down on the couch exhausted.

It’s okay that I worry about every little thing going in within the world of raising my teen at 4:30 AM.

It’s okay if one night I make a gourmet meal, and then the next night order in pizza for the second time that week.

It’s okay if I am a working mom, a stay at home mom, or a mom who works part time.

It’s okay to make decisions that work my family and not listen to the chatter surrounding me.

It’s okay to be me, my authentic self.

I hug and I yell…no judgments.

I laugh and I sob…no judgments.

I smile and I frown…no judgments.

I compliment and I complain…no judgments.

I have grace and I fault others…no judgments.

I love hard and I push love away…no judgments.

Aren’t we all just hanging in there right now? 

I know I am…no judgments.