to the mom with a lemonade life story.

(By the way, I think we all have and share that kind of story...)

You know that phrase when life hands you lemons make lemonade?

Well, I think that goes for most of life. Motherhood included.

Right now, there's you, in the midst of your journey. You're the mom in your home or at work or sitting in the doctor's office or taking a walk in probably a life dotted with lemon moments. They are those things that sometimes we'd love to brush under the rug like my kids do when they sweep the floor - oh yeah, I've seen it. Sometimes we don't like to talk about those lemon things in our lives - the relationships that we thought would be forever that slowly crumbled under our feet or the fact that the bank account most days is in the red or there's sickness or struggles or that sometimes we wonder if we're really cut out for this motherhood thing. It's easy to try hide.

It's easy to think we are the only one who is mothering in a life that really isn't the life that we pictured.

Do you remember thinking about life and motherhood when you were young?

Did you picture motherhood for what it really is most days? Most days of doing the same thing over and over and over again. Days of dealing with toddlers who don't like the shirts with tags or stripes or with the lion on front and you find yourself in the midst of complex shirt negotiations when you're late. There are days of scrubbing peanut butter out of the carpet and googling how to get crayon out of clothes that ran through the dryer and staying up late trying to convince the eleven year old to fix that paragraph on their report on a favorite historical figure. There are moments trying to navigate Target while pushing the gigantic cart while searching for the noodles for dinner while the toddler decides to have a meltdown (and yes, you're not alone, all kids have a meltdown at some point - to you I say - carry on supermom.) There are moments with broken strings and permanent markers and crazy moments managing.

Then there's you. Hoping for a shower or a break or for just one night where the kids all go to bed. And smashed into all the mothering things are those doubts - the wonderings if your kids are going to turn out okay because you didn't get them into ballet or soccer or taekwondo when they were three (trust me, they'll be fine). Or you hoping that you're doing enough or you hoping for just a moment to take a break.

And then there are those lemon moments in life. The hard stuff that so easily could paint the story that you're living into shades of gray. But, the truth is that the lemons and those hard moments are what makes your story yours. It's where you learn about bravery, strength, courage, tenacity, and that yes, to only give the three year old two shirt options when you're late. Or, honestly, no shirt options at all - then opt for the tag free striped shirt with the lion on front.

Life is lemonade.

It's a mixture of those challenging moments when we're pushed to the brink of ourselves mixed with sweet moments where our kids are perfect mixed with ordinary, plain, pull the wash out of the dryer and fold the clothes days. There are times where we sit out on the front porch with tears streaming from our face looking at the stars at night and simply praying for strength for tomorrow. There are times when we are brave and make the tough choices even though the whole world might think we're crazy.

It's in motherhood too. It the times when we choose to count to twenty again and again and again and then we up it to counting to thirty. It's in the moments where the door is slammed on our faces and we wonder why in the world we're doing this crazy thing called motherhood. It's in the times we pace and walk and deal with that colicky baby who doesn't resemble the sweet newborn we thought we would have.

But it's also so sweet.

Let's not forget those moments - they're the moments in the mix of life that makes your story laced with moments of beauty. It's in the sweet I love you momma moments. Or the times where we choose to rock our preschooler in the morning and put the phone down (Read this short story I put up on the finding joy facebook page - it has already over 60k views). It's in the art projects, talks in the car, ice cream treats late at night, stories read, and hands wiped. It's in the kids cuddled on the couch reading together. It's in the text messages from our teens saying thank you.

The little things.

A lemonade life story isn't bad, sweet mother. It's normal. It's your story, your amazing story that you're writing right now. Right now, this is your life, and your journey. You could compare it to me or to the other commenter on facebook or your neighbor next door but all that comparing has the potential to make you less content with you. Don't compare. Learn. Your story is beautiful and unique and yours. Even if it isn't perfect.

It can be easy to wonder how did this become my story ? I know. I've asked it.

You know what? Let's not ask that question anymore. Do you know why? Because you are blessed with now. Today. Maybe the past is full of lemons. Hard things. Times when you felt like you deserved the bad mom of the day or the week mother status (let me tell you in January I'll be writing about those things - kids cooped in the house with negative temps outside pushes a mother to her limits). But here's the deal - those things are in the past. Learn from them. Grow. And yet embrace today.

I'm not joking.

Embrace today.

If you never read my words again the one thing I would want you to leave this site is with the idea of embracing today. Loving the little things - finding joy in the moments - that you are blessed with in the middle of today. It's not those gigantic cool things that we think motherhood could be about. It's in the eleven seconds when you stand at the bedroom door and watch your ten year old sleep - the ten year old who you battled with all day and yet love with all of your heart. Or when your five year old pats your hand and tell you he loves you. Or when no one complains about dinner (that's a moment - savor it). Or when a friend calls you out of the blue to just say hello. Or when you're told I love you. Or when your kids just want to be around you.

Little. Things. Matter.

Celebrate them with me. Live your lemonade life grateful because right now, at this moment, what you are doing in your imperfect life makes a life difference to your kids. They need you, their mom, their not so perfect but very real mom who is living a lemonade life story.

That's the beautiful truth.

From me, one mom living a lemonade life and still loving the little things, to you.

*****
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Today's photos? A mixture of real life live from the instagram feed. Find me there at finding_joy and pics used by permission and credited to Hannah Nicole
Images and original content are sole property of Rachel Martin and may not be used, copied or transmitted without prior written consent.

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