One of the things that came up at Mom 2.0 Summit is the importance of being true to yourself. The importance of not trying to fit into a mold or to be the person that someone else thinks you should be. We live in a society where women have a choice of whether or not they want to work or stay home. That choice is available to us because of the women that came before us and worked so hard for equality in the workforce. And while women still don’t have equal pay (stupid), we have equal opportunities. We don’t have to have 2.5 kids, a clean home (thankfully), a dog, dinner on the table when our husbands get home and be perfectly well quaffed every day. We can be ourselves. We can spend the day in yoga pants, unbathed, with the breakfast dishes in the sink until dinner time (4 days later). We can teach our kids to be honest and true to themselves. We can do stupid things. We can swear in front of our children without feeling like we’re horrible people. We live in a time where being true to who you are is SO important in being the best parent that you can be.
Have you ever watched Modern Family? I love that show. I think it’s HYSTERICAL. And one of the reasons I think it’s so funny is because of how real the show is. The characters in the show do some dumb things but they’re so realistic and not really all that far fetched. I think a lot of the people that watch the show can relate to it, feel like they’re living a part of it. We’re not perfect, parents. People aren’t perfect. We all make mistakes. We live and we learn.
I want Courtney to always feel comfortable being the person she is in the skin in which she lives. I don’t want her to feel that she has to make excuses for who she is. I want her to know that it’s ok to go outside of the lines, or stay within them, whichever makes you more comfortable because of who you are. I want her to know that this is her life and she should live it to the best of her ability.
Growing up and even into my late 20’s, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who I was and where I belonged in the world. I think I spent a lot of time hiding my true identity in order to fit in with a group of people, people I’m not even sure I liked. And people that liked me (or not) based on false pretenses. I’m at a place in my life where I’m happy with who I am as a person, I like me. I like what’s become of my life and the choices that I’m making. I can’t please everyone, but that’s ok, I don’t have to. I try and be a good person. I try and be kind to others. I try and like (or even love) people for who they are, where they’ve come from, the color of their skin, and the beliefs that hold them together. I don’t have to agree with all of the parts that make them whole, I love someone because of or differences.
In order for me to be true to Paul and Courtney, I need to be true to myself. It’s the only way I know to live my best life. It’s the only one I have.
Yay for being yourself! Glad you had a good time and I look forward to hearing more about the experience.
Thought you might like this post [http://fridayplaydate.com/you-have-to-be-present-to-win-thats-how-the-world-works/] about the event.
I watched the fist episode of Modern Family and I still have to catch up with all the rest. Everyone says I need to watch them, so one of these days I’ll get to it.