Yes, I’m that Mom

Ohhhhh, yes. I was THAT Mom today at @target ! The Mom who brought two iPads in to let her big kids zone out (and keep them distracted IN the cart instead of trying on all the clothes and shoes in the women’s department.) I had 20 minutes to get in, get through the checkout, and get out. Twenty.minutes. I knew I could not have any diversions if I was going to do it successfully. So, yep…. I let them watch a screen to do what I had to do. My Modern Mama Hustle. Years ago I would have looked at THIS Mom and rolled my eyes. Seriously? iPads. In a shopping cart. But now …. I nod at Mom’s who DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO to stay sane, put their own oxygen masks on first, and get it done. Without judgment. I smile with a #momswhometoo twinkle in my eye. You don’t know my story. I don’t know yours. What you see is a tiny snapshot of the picture. There is no room for judgment. So if you’re judging, stop. Just stop. We don’t need one another to hold each other in contempt instead of Love. We need to see each other’s struggles and say … ME TOO, MAMA. ME TOO. We are all inextricably connected. And we need the collective benefit of the doubt to dissipate all of these freaking messed up shame stories that we perpetuate and tell ourselves. Break free if the shame. Put on your oxygen mask. Do what you have to do to show up for your people as a whole human being. If that means iPad in the shopping cart. Do it. If that means cereal for dinner, do it. If that means being late instead of stress-yelling at the kids to get the freak out the door, do it. Do what you have to do. And love hard on yourself. And each other. We belong to each other. ?