Comparison

I saw a reel this morning that said "POV: watching your husband open up the Christmas gift you got him with his own money because you're a SAHM." I chuckled because I can relate to that. Then I saw that the comments were full of women upset for various reasons, a large majority being working moms. At first, I did a small eye roll because, honestly, we're a little too sensitive to things on the internet sometimes and I felt like it was a silly little reel that had no intention of upsetting anyone. Then I got to thinking about how I would have felt being a working mom and seeing that reel, and I understood a little more because I used to be a working mom too.

When I was a working mom, I used to feel so much jealousy at those who were able to be at home with their babies because I wanted that so badly. I know jealousy is not something I should feel, but I did. Then there were times that I would complain about working and SAHM's would say "at least you get a break away". It never felt like a break though. Instead, it just fueled my jealousy. Granted, I will take responsibility for allowing my feelings to consume me, but I share this because I think we all experience this at some point.

Social media has given us a ridiculous amount of access to other people's lives. We get to look through the window to a small chunk of their day and then we evaluate our own life based on what we see. So, I believe that way it's common to find yourself in that battle of toxic comparison. What has helped me is not to settle in those thoughts. Acknowledge them, then move past them quickly and focus on your own path, and have love and compassion for other moms. Don't allow the lives of strangers on the internet to lead you to a place a discontentment in your own life. And recognize that God has you where you're meant to be right now.

We can look at each role of motherhood through a lens of love and not comparison. Acknowledge that whether you stay at home full time, work full time, or even part-time, being a mother is a hard job, but the best job.

Let's find gratitude in whatever path God put us on and find compassion for our fellow sisters and the path of motherhood that God put them on.

Motherhood is hard, let's not add fuel to the fire by comparison or judgement.

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"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

Proverbs 31: 28-29