I am not the mom who ensures hair is brushed before walking out the door (mine or his).
I am the mom who serves dessert with dinner.
I am not the mom who cuts fruit into cute shapes.
I am the mom who lets my kid sleep in on school days, knowing he is exhausted.
I am not the mom who likes to play in the dirt.
I am the mom who puts off bath night one more day.
I am not the mom who is completely put together.
I am the mom telling my son how brave he is when he’s nervous about going to another ear doctor appointment.
I am not the mom who buys organic milk, or really, anything.
I am the mom who manages the calendar.
I am not the mom who breastfed.
I am a mom who enjoys a good nap.
I am not the mom who will be leading the PTO.
I am the mom who gets woken up in the morning by a tiny human squeezing between his dad and me.
I am not the mom who reads a book every day to my son.
I am the mom who allows more screen time than is probably necessary.
I am not cut out to be a full-time, stay-at-home mom.
I am the mom who lets him walk around the backyard in his underwear.
I am not a mom who likes cooking.
I am the mom who makes my marriage a priority.
I am a mom who suffered loss.
I am not the mom who thinks there are too many snacks.
I am the mom who is sad he’s growing up but excited for the future.
I am not the mom who keeps houseplants alive.
I am the mom who has bought too many toys on Target trips.
I am the mom who focuses on identifying emotions and understanding feelings.
I am the mom who enjoys trashy reality TV to wind down.
I am the mom who believes in a good facial and pedicure.
I am the mom who is constantly learning what it means to be a parent.
There are things I am not, but there are so many more things I am.
I am mom.
I am me.