Hey, tonight I come humbly before you to admit that I am not a super hero. I hate to burst your bubble and the polished image that you have of me kids but I may as well admit it.
I have tried for years to keep up with the best of them all, the soccer moms the super home school moms, the moms who never yell and keep their hair in place while mixing a cake with one hand and teaching Johnny algebra with the other.
I have failed and I am the first to admit it. I never was able to conquer my fear of heights which is why I couldn't fly you around to all the places you wanted to go 24-7.
I know Susie's mom could manage to steer the van with one foot while doing karaoke with all your preteen friends on the way to the mall. But I opted to just say no, the mall was like kryptonite to our budget.
I confess that at times I was able to use my super powers to pull you out of bed in the mornings. My secret weapon was the scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls urging you to surrender to my will. I also confess to using my x-ray vision to see that you had hidden junk under your bed after promising me that your room was clean. That was one of the times that I was able to detect non-verbal moaning with my super human hearing.
You were aware of my flaws all along I know, that was my greatest disguise. My super power was to remain vulnerable throughout all of life's ups and downs. I allowed you to penetrate the walls of my heart. When you came into my life I opened every vessel of my heart and let you step right in. I never shut the door.
There were times when I was weakened by the icy stares you gave me after I told you no to something you really wanted, but I knew it would harm you. The love I have for you was the strength I depended on when you didn't like me anymore. I still held my ground when I was no longer a nice mommy. I took the bullets because I was keeping you safe. That's what real moms do.
Popularity was not my strong point, I was able to go to bed and cry myself to sleep, if it meant keeping you from harm. The supermom thing was tempting to me, but I never could seem to fit into the suit. Must have been the cinnamon rolls.
I just found it to be demanding enough to be a real mom. I'm not saying super moms aren't real moms, I'm just saying that for me just being a regular, day in and day out kind of mom was super hard enough. I didn't want to try for a decathelon or anything, I just wanted to be able to say at the end of the day that I was real.
So, my confession tonight is for my kids. If I have failed to meet all of your expectations, well just chalk it up to the fact that I am real. The same way I was able to understand that you came from me and I know that you are real too. You inherited some of my frailties and some of my strengths. I hope you can forgive me for that.
Please remember that when your children start trying to tie a cape on your back so that you can take them for a spin around the planet, that a real mom or dad is better than a super hero. A real mom and dad can be touched, they can feel joy and pain. Real moms and dads curl up on the couch with popcorn and snuggle. While the super hero flys off into the sunset.
You were always my inspiration. Your laughter and smiles were like a super dose of adrenaline to me. You gave me hope for the future. When I saw that you were learning to become your own person, I felt a sense of pride knowing that I had played a great part in who you are.
I cried real tears, in sadness and in joy. When I was too tired to get up again, I found the strength because I knew you needed me. One look into your face energized me again. Love became the ancedote for all the bad guys out there. I hope you have plenty of it on hand. Enough to give to your kids too. Real kids need real love.
It takes time to manufacture the real stuff. Some super parents try to buy it, but love has to be homemade to be the real thing.
No shortcuts. Time, sacrifice, consistency. That's what makes real love.
Don't forget that love comes from God. If you miss that you have missed everything. So you need real love. Your kids need real love. God is real love.
There's nothing more super than that.
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