stereotype

(Disclaimer: This post is not meant to offend or point fingers. I am stating what's on my mind (aka I'm venting) because I feel like I may not be the only one who feels this way.)

So, I live in Utah... "The Greatest Snow on Earth", "The Beehive State", "The Mormon Bubble", etc., etc. There are so many things I love about this place; the mountains, the awesome summers, the skiing, how close we live to the temple, and not to mention the incredible network of friends and family that we have so close to us. Utah is our home for now, and I will appreciate that. However, there is one thing about this great state that I do NOT appreciate, and that is stereotype. What I'm going to say might sound harsh to your ears, but please remember that these are my feelings. In a nutshell, I am not a blonde, size 4, gourmet cooking, interior decorating, quilt making, award-winning blogging Superperfectmom. Phew. There's my confession. And I am so SICK of the expectation that that is exactly what I should be. I've never before felt the pressure for perfection like I've felt here. And quite honestly, it boggles my mind that I feel inadequate sometimes when I'm surrounded by these Superperfectmoms, because I'm a great person! I constantly have to remind myself that not everyone speaks 3 languages or has served a mission or has a college degree or has traveled to 15 countries or is temple worthy. And before you judge, I am NOT bragging... I'm simply stating that I've done some pretty cool things with my life and I shouldn't feel inadequate just because I don't make bread from scratch! Why do I feel like, in order to 'fit in', I should not only look cute and fashionable all the time, but I should be a pro at everything? I should take my 24 hour day and feed the hungry, knit a sweater, cook an amazing meal for not only my family but the gal downstairs who just had a baby, run a 10k, teach my 20-month old how to read, maintain a perfectly clean, beautifully decorated house, read my scriptures for an hour, and invent some cute craft that I can sell on etsy and make enough money to support my mani/pedi obsession... right?

WRONG.

I am not a Superperfectmom, but I am a super mom. Not Supermom, just a super mom. And wife. I provide the emotional and (hopefully) spiritual support for my hard-working husband and sweet little boy. Sometimes the house is clean, sometimes it's not. Sometimes I'm really proud of my culinary creations, other times we enjoy grilled cheese and tomato soup. I don't sew, I don't scrapbook, I occasionally blog but I've never been published, I'm sure as heck not a size 4, my hair color is NATURAL, and I still wear the same clothes that I've had since 2005 (gasp!). Sometimes I'm tired and I let Gabe watch Dora the Explorer all morning, but he knows who Jesus is and he can say his prayers and point out the temple when we drive by it. He has an incredible vocabulary for a boy his age because we work diligently with him on communicating. I know that my husband and son feel loved because I tell them and show them all day long. I have to give myself some credit, because if I don't, my lack of stereotype will be the death of me. I'm learning to accept that I'm not that Superperfectmom, but with 1 in 5 Utah women on antidepressants, why would I want to be? I'm just me, take it or leave it.

*T