One Mom’s Revealing Selfie

The other day I snapped a selfie. It was this selfie to be exact…

One Mom's Revealing Selfie | Houston Moms Blog

And I couldn’t help but think, when did I get so old? And the train continued … how did I get here? Wait, where is here? {Oh, and wrinkle cream, let’s get with the program already!} But back to here … is it motherhood? Is it adulthood? Is it #thisisthirtysomething? 

It’s the present. And that face up there is the story of where I’ve been, where I stand, and where I’m going.

That girl grew up not a fan of dress shopping with mom or the tap shoes for dance class. And yet today, she’s learned how to curl her hair and appreciates having ample time to prep for date night. 

That face has survived storms, yet that girl chooses to hold memories of life’s peaks rather than valleys. She knows the blessings in her story. From hobbies to education to career to marriage and family, that story has been a clear compass. 

That woman is a mom to three boys, and she’s learning there are parts of the toilet that she never imagined having to clean several times a week. She knows superheroes, their symbols, go-to battle moves, and which ones belong to which group. She watches her three as they hardly stop moving. She prays for them to become men of integrity, tolerance, and strength of character. 

The muscles in those jaws tighten when eating out, sitting in the pews at Mass, or hustling to get everyone out of the door in a timely manner. Those eyes soften as they witness the budding brotherly relationships in the midst of sibling rivalry and {for the love!} arguing over e-ver-y-thing! 

Above is the face of acceptance that she can’t have it all. She can get in a workout, hang with the kiddos playing puzzles or helping on the monkey bars, and keep a decently clean and humble abode, but she won’t be put-together that day. 

That’s the face of hustle … like if she brings her A-game, she can clean the table, bathroom toilets and sinks, and sweep in thirty minutes. {The coffee helps too.}

That face holds two eyes that look out simultaneously feeling like she’s living someone else’s life and faking it until she makes it at this grown-up game, and yet knowing in her very core that she can walk confidently through these days knowing that this is exactly who she was created to be. 

That selfie is proof of girl becoming woman. Her eyes love meeting those of her kids in the rearview mirror over the joys of a favorite song. She realizes daily the power of her mouth and the words that come from it. Her heart knows there’s room to love her family deeply and yet care for others in service and career. And as she goes through this … adulthood, motherhood, whatever it is … the magic is in the growing older, not yearning for the past.

The goal is to live the present so that the future is celebration of what’s passed. 

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Jenn L
Jenn is an English teacher turned stay at home mom to boys Wyatt {2010}, John {2013}, and Abram {2014}. South Louisiana born and raised, North Louisiana educated, and Texas “polished,” she has found Houston to be home with her husband for the past ten years. After infertility struggles, in 2010 she traded in A Tale of Two Cities for Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and has since been busy discovering ways to learn while playing, maintaining a semi-scheduled family life, and integrating both Texas and Louisiana culture into her family. Besides making memories with her boys full time, she enjoys reading, running, crafting, cooking, and football. Y’all stop by When In Doubt, Add More Salt to read more about family adventures with the boys and Jenn’s thoughts on hot summers and Pinterest pin attempts, and her love/hate relationship with March Madness brackets.

3 COMMENTS

  1. My 6 year old looked at my head today and said “MOM!” Your hair is turning GRAY!!! (Thanks, sweetie.) lol!!! For a girl who just turned 40 this year, if I’m just now starting to turn gray, no biggie. I’ll just color more often 😉

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