Finding the bliss, one day at a time…

Do you ever wish you were more content as a mom?

Do you feel like you aren’t making a difference or that something is missing from your life?

I think it’s safe to say, if you’re a mom, you’ve answered yes to one of those questions at one point or another (or even today). I know I have. I don’t use curlers in my hair, but I promise you, that picture has definitely been me from time to time, especially when my kids were toddlers!

Let’s face it: parenthood can be chaotic, stressful, and complicated.

Kids can bring more happiness than we ever imagined…

But they can also test our patience and endurance like nothing else can.

Whether you have one child or eight, whether you work outside of the house or stay at home, whether you have babies or teens, whether you’re raising your own kids or someone else’s, whether you’ve adopted or not, home-schooled or not, are single or married, have “little angels” or “wild things” running around your house, being a mom can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

But it can also be one of the most challenging.

And the most overwhelming.

And the most humbling.

Who knew we could learn so much from these little human beings?

Like how to function on only a few hours of sleep. And how to help with homework, make dinner, answer the phone, and look for the missing binky—all at the same time.

Who knew that being a mom came with its own set of priorities and sacrifices? Or that it would teach us so much about compromising and negotiating? (And the fact that, most of the time, we shouldn’t be compromising and negotiating. Because we’re the moms, right?)

Who knew that motherhood would be such a balancing act?

We want to be organized, but we feel like we’re not.

We want to be productive, but we never seem to be able to get it all done.

We want to be consistent, but sometimes we’re exhausted.

We want to make the right decisions, but sometimes we don’t know what the right decisions are.

We want to be role models, but we’re far from perfect.

We want time to ourselves, but our kids need our time.

Most of all…

we want to be good moms,

and we just don’t know if we are.

We get frustrated and lose our patience and spend some days looking forward to the next phase of parenting, when our kids will finally be out of diapers, or when they’ll finally be out of strollers, or when they’ll finally be driving themselves around. When things will be easier and we can get back to feeling like ourselves.

We hope.

But being a happy mom doesn’t mean sailing through motherhood.

It doesn’t mean having it all together or having the best kids.

It doesn’t mean never making mistakes.

And it’s not about perfection.

Being a happy mom–experiencing the joy that motherhood can so freely give–is really about learning to love the mom that you are. And it’s about recognizing the blessings that sometimes hide in the corners of the journey—in the feel of your baby’s sleepy head on your shoulder as you carry her through the grocery store pushing the cart with one hand, or in the quiet singing of your preschooler as he sits in the corner during his time-out, or in the smile of your eighteen-year-old as he walks across the stage to get his diploma that, after all the challenges he had in school, you weren’t sure he was going to get.

Because those kinds of moments—even though they’re sometimes sandwiched between a whole lot of stress—are filled with happiness.

They are filled with bliss.

We just need to remember to look for it,

one day at a time.
*Tips on how to do that, as well as real-life stories and inspiration that will help you love the mom that you are and find the bliss in your parenting journey, will be coming  in future posts as I share more excerpts from  Laugh a Little, Cry a Little, Love a Lot – Three Surprisingly Simple Steps to Mommy-Bliss.  Stop back by on Mom-Mondays for more!

What about you? What have your moments of bliss looked like? What has been your biggest challenge in seeing that bliss from time to time?

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Thanks for stopping by for Mom-Monday – a day for mom-stories, tips, articles and inspiration.

To join in, all you have to do is add your URL to the link list below and put my button anywhere on your site. It’s as simple as that; no post necessary. Just an easy way for moms to connect with other moms.

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Comments

  1. Awwww, what a great post Genny. :-)I think when we're happy moms, and our kids know we take joy in them, then the other stuff either falls into place or becomes less important.

  2. WHo knew I would be a mom to 3, and want 7 more. Who knew I would be the child advocate I am… who knew I would be homeschooling!!!… who knew that Savior timing would be so infinately prefect that He would make sure I knew Him long enough to be able to let them know Him…Blessings-Amanda

  3. I entered my link and it was super easy! I guess I thought it was a different thing I'd tried before. :-) Thanks Genny!

  4. Well-said! Listen, I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Aunt Julie, Veggie Mom's SIL. Veggie is retiring today as the proprietress at Eat Your Veggies! today, and I'm stepping in. I realize I have really BIG shoes to fill, but I'm up to the challenge. Please come by and wish Veggie a fond farewell on her last post. Look forward to seeing you over at my new place!

  5. Okay, and here's another one: who knew that I'd get choked up just watching my son practice soccer this morning? I don' think I'll ever stop having that lump-in-my-throat feeling that I get from watching them as they grow. One of the best thing about being a mom. :)Thanks for chiming in, guys!

  6. Who knew that I could make my boys laugh so hard they turn red if I tell fart jokes to them. With my first boy, I was more uptight about stuff like that- now that we have 3, I have learned that grossness fascinates these little men- maybe not our daughter so much though…ok, that was a silly one, I have better, but they are not coming to mind right now.

  7. I really needed this post today – it's been a tough first week and a half of summer holidays. Attitudes, hormones, ugh. I am so not prepared for this! Thanks for reminding me to look for the good things, too.

  8. Stopping by from SITS!! Happy Monday!! I don't have children of my own, but I love your post.

  9. Hang in there, Andrea. Hope your week gets better! I'm not prepared for the hormone thing either.And, yes, Halfmoon Girl, those little guys do love the gross factor. The books that first got my son into reading were the Captain Underpants series! lol.

  10. Love this post! :) Thanx for stopping by my blog! Who knew I would be in tears when my son took his first steps?! I was already having to "let go" and watch him walk away from me. I'm sure there will be other moments when he'll be "walking away from me", and I will have to "let go" so many times! I don't think I'll ever be prepared for it!

  11. You have a gorgeous promo picture. I'm a makeup artist. I love to check out web photos. I'm not hitting on ya'. LOL

  12. I love these posts Genny! Who knew I'd be a SAHM…certainly wasn't my plan but it was HIS. It's been like starting over as far as friends are concerned.

  13. Care-in, when I decided to quit my job in the corporate world and stay home, it like was starting over in so many ways too. All good. And it turned out that, not only did I get that time with my kids, I also got back in touch with my love of writing. I think sometimes "starting over" like that ends up being a mini life-makeover. :)

  14. Who knew I could love someone so much, that I wished I could have another. Such a wonderful post as always, Genny. Sorry I didn't get a chance to chime in today!

  15. great post. it made me think of all the things I love about being with my kids & being a Mom, even on those really hard days.

  16. Love the new look!Who knew that when Mom-ing is just as hard as I expected it to be (which is why I wasn't sure I was cut out for it to begin with), I can't wait for another day to try again. Because no matter how much these guys drive me batty, I love them and enjoy them immeasurably more. Blessings,Mary

  17. I want to print this out and stick it to my fridge!Great encouragement for all the mummies out there (like me) who struggle with this.Thanks :)

  18. I have been blessed with 3 amazing kids….my happiest moments are when I see them hugging each other or playing together "nicely", or telling each other "I love you"!

  19. Genny- That was so well written, I want to print it out and post it on my fridge… there were so many truths to remember daily. Great post! I wish I had a link to post about…. I'll have to remember Mom Monday!

  20. Beautifully written! I gave up awhile ago trying to be the mom I thought I "should" be and now am just the mom that I am, it makes everyone a lot happier!

  21. this is a great post with perfect timing. i try to live each day in the moments God gives me as a mom. sometimes it's hard, but i know it's worth it. when i'm happy and on top of things…i have noticed it to reflect on my son's behavior. YAY for happy moms!!!!i love your new layout!!!

  22. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I AM a very proud mommy;-)I really needed this post today, though because for the last 6 weeks I have been an exhausted mommy!

  23. I have one who's 22 & one who's 19. My hubby reminded me the other day of one of his comments when the first came home from the hospital-"Where's the 'off' switch on this thing?" Well, we've found the "off" switch, but face a constantly changing – yet rewarding – set of challenges!

  24. this is so good…so true. i missed participating yesterday…but i will have to add a post later this week!

  25. Amy

    Genny,I am so happy that you visited my experimental blog! keep in mind, it is full of recipes that I want to try and haven't yet. Just a way to help me organize my thoughts. I love your take on being a mom. It is so true that you learn soososososo much! And I am now expecting my second, so things should get really fun around here!

  26. Thanks for all the great thoughts, everyone! Melissa B, you had me cracking up about the on and off switch!And Manic Mother, I love what you said about just being the mom that you are!

  27. Who knew that amidst all the gross barfy nastiness, you can find a little bit of that magic. I posted on that a little bit ago, and linked to it. Sorry I'm tardy! There was just no time for bloggin' on Monday. Or Tuesday.

  28. Who knew that facebook can be an open door to my child's heart and make me realize that through all the things I might have done wrong, I must have done something right 'cause God is working in my child, and He's coming through loud and clear, molding and shaping that child into a young, mature adult even though that child won't admit it to my face!

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