Welcome to my home, my world, my life where…

The garage doors are pushing 20 years and barely operating.

Our kitchen was completely gutted and renovated from top to bottom as soon as we moved in.

There are always dirty dishes in the kitchen.

I wash, fold, and put away roughly five loads of laundry every week.

I can’t meal plan to save my life.

Breakfast before school is eggs and pancakes from scratch.

A book before bed and a goal of eight hours of sleep is a strict priority.

Date nights with my husband are an exception.

The suburbs can be lonely.

My mom answers my call every day at noon.

I’m shy and awkward in group settings.

The loyalty to the ones that have my heart runs deep.

I completed one of three baby books.

The kids relish our quiet moments together when I tell the stories of how we met.

I swear entirely way too much in front of my kids.

Dance parties, talent shows, and improv night are a regular part of our evening activities.

I doubt most parenting decisions I make.

I defend my children, hold them accountable, and encourage them in equal measure.

I have a good job that allows me to be present for my family.  I volunteer at school.  I sit on a non-profit Board of Directors.  I write for an awesome blog.

Underneath it all, I am an anxious ball of energy.

It’s easier than ever to fall prey to comparisons and believe that a life veiled in gloss is reality.  I’ve been down the rabbit hole of comparing my worst days to someone’s highlight reel.  My backstory to her happy ending.  Haven’t we all?  Logically, we know that the grass over there isn’t greener than the grass over here, but it can be beyond challenging to see a flawlessly cropped and just-so-lit photo of adorable kids or happy parents or sweet couple and not think that it is a brilliant shade of emerald.

I know I’m not saying anything that hasn’t been said before.  Wanting to be more in attempt to reach the pinnacle of acceptance in terms of lifestyle, career, friendship, marriage, motherhood is ingrained in our culture and amplified by the ever present screens we scroll through.  However, for many of us it bears repeating.  So, today I am using my time and my little space on the internet to offer this peek into my unfiltered life and issue a reminder we all deserve:

If perfection is the goal, we are all failing.

Every single one of us.

This is a beautiful thing.  Despite the efforts of many, we, as individuals and our circumstances, are not meant to fit into boxes, definitions, labels.  It’s amazingly so much simpler than that.  We do not need to measure up to any standard or tell a story other than our own.  Be proud of who you are – the positives, the negatives, and all that’s in between.  And remember, no one has it all, all of the time.

This has been a Public Service Announcement.