I live in Leslieville, a popular neighbourhood in the southeast corner of downtown Toronto – an area which deserves to be called “Strollerville”.   If you live here or have been here, you know why I say that.  There are strollers and babies and mothers everywhere.

When you are a mother yourself, that is a blessing and a curse.

I am always out and about with my babe (or babes) in the stroller so I often pass other moms with their babe (or babes).  The difference being that those other mothers always look so damn good!  The kind of moms you see pinned on Pinterest wearing that adorable outfit, with their hair well polished, skin glowing, and smiling.   They are the moms chilling at the coffee shop or leisurely walking down the street while their well-dressed children are fast asleep in the stroller.

On the other hand, I am the mom in unmatched gym clothes (who likely hasn’t made it to the gym), hair in a tousled ponytail with stains on my shirt, avocado in my hair, and spinach in my teeth.  I am precisely illustrating my appearance today.   I’m usually speed walking past those other strollers trying to get home with my crying child (who also has food on her face and is missing a shoe).

I see those other mothers and wonder what they are doing differently. 

They look beautiful and blissful.  I look like I just rolled out of bed (well because I did).

Something tells me I’m not the only mom who gets caught in the comparisons.  It’s a dangerous place to be because it’s easy to see the goodness in other people’s lives and the mess in our own lives.   We don’t know what happens behind closed doors, but it’s probably not so pretty for them either.  While it doesn’t really matter, it does help to think that every one of us moms is a mess at some point.   We are not alone and there will always be another mother speed walking down the streets of Leslieville with green stuff in her teeth.  Ah, I feel better now.

Motherhoood quotes

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