"Others are watching, you know": How Your Mothering is Making an Impact

"Others are watching, you know."

I sat in the living room of one of my seasoned neighbors. She had just uttered this simple phrase and left me with a feeling that I can't explain.

Her children are long since grown and I have no doubt that she raised them well. Yet, here she was telling me how a very small act, one that I don't even remember, made an impact.

My sons were wrestling at church- not really Mother of the Year worthy behavior. My Buddy accidentally knocked his little brother to the ground. According to this dear neighbor, I "scooped him up and gave him a love without even reprimanding either one."

At that moment, I was reminded of a thought that had been planted many months ago. My personal call to be the mom my kids deserve and in the process, let mothering be seen as the blessing that it is.

YOU, Momma, make more of an impact than you know. In a world where the family is being challenged more than ever and children are seen as mere inconveniences, we have the opportunity of turning the tides. It's an exhausting job, in every sense of the word. Things go wrong and perfect just isn't a reality. Kids misbehave and throw fits in public and discipline needs to be enforced, yet our behavior can be positive.

Remember the sweetness behind those little eyes? The potential that every one of our children have?  Elaborate parties, magazine worthy homes, designer clothes and making everything in your life appear perfect is not what this calling is about. It's not even about being the perfect mom.

It's about showing that we love our children and cherish them. It's about giving loving, patient care to your children in all situations. It's about giving our all, both in public and private because our children are worth it. It's about giving young women and other struggling mommas gentle encouragement that it can be done and that it's a wonderful journey. How? By simply being the mom you were meant to be.

Give it your all, remember why you love being a mom, strive to be the best mom you can. For yourself and your children and also because "others are watching, you know."