Game Seven

Game Seven… two words that make any sports fan, or perhaps I should say, anyone with a pulse, feel the excitement of what is about to happen.  Game seven is the ultimate Go Big or Go Home.  Game seven means putting it all out there.  Game Seven means a once in a lifetime chance to make a dream come true.  Game Seven… it’s pretty cool.

It’s pretty cool if you are a Major League Baseball player about to make a childhood dream come true.  If you are that Major League baseball player, it’s okay to put massive pressure on yourself.  If you are that Major League baseball player, it’s okay to put every single ounce of your being out there.  If you are that Major League baseball player it’s okay to compare yourself to others.  If you are that Major League baseball player it’s okay to wallow over defeat, and celebrate if victory comes your way.

But if you are not that Major League baseball player… if you are just a Mom (and believe me I am not minimizing Moms by saying “Just a”)… then it’s time we quit playing like it’s game seven.

Somehow between the picturesque Pinterest wreaths, the #noFilter Instagram shots we see of the happy families relishing their third trip of the year to DisneyWorld, and the photos we all post on Facebook of the perfect parties, the hand-sewn costumes, the amazing table set-up and the brand new 5-bedroom houses in the burbs, the game of Mommy-ing has started to feel like a lot of Game Sevens.

I know that I’m just as guilty as everyone else of posting the highlight reel of our life, but I think it’s causing us all to strike out.  Just today I had a conversation with another Mom about how hard it is to stay afloat as a working mom, let alone have time to select and carve pumpkins, make treat bags for daycare and intricately design fall foliage craft projects for the grandparents.  C’mon now!  I’m betting that the only Moms who can accomplish this HAVE to be taking some type of performance-enhancing drugs (can we please get some random drug testing on that perky blond Mom from Kindercare?)

I bet that more often than not many of us just get by.  All while feeling like we’re never enough… never enough of a Mom, never enough of an employee, never enough of a wife, and never enough of a You.  And if you feel that way, it is okay!  In fact I think it’s pretty darn normal.

Mommy-ing is not an easy career.  Some days we get lucky and hit a home run, but most days it’s hard work.  There’s no glamour, no relief pitchers, and no amount of Icy Hot to make up for the challenges and learning that accompanies raising little leaguers.

So for tonight… get your game face on!  Cheer for the Giants or the Royals.  Get swept of in the excitement and the drama that accompanies the rare Game Seven of the Fall Classic.

But tomorrow… stop looking at the score board, stop comparing yourself to the other team, and start reminding yourself why you wanted to be drafted into the Mom Leagues to begin with.  Mommy-ing is not about a once-in-a-lifetime win, mommy-ing is about all the experiences you and your kiddos get along the way.  So practice hard, learn from the losses and celebrate the little wins.  I’m still a rookie myself, but I’m betting that your little sluggers could care less about the Moms a few benches over, they’re just glad to be a part of YOUR team.

Now Play Ball!