Photo credit: Second Ave Photography
A lot of people think I'm a super mom.
If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me "how I did it all" I'd probably be rich. Between working a day job, running a business, raising a daughter, and still finding time to nurture relationships with family and friends... there are a lot of balls constantly in the air around here.
And it's not easy, but I do have a bit of a hidden superpower that does help me "do it all."
(More on that in a second...)
Recently, with a gentle nudge, *ahem,* shove from a special mentor and friend, I tried the Super Mom title on for size for real AND brought my pint size sidekick along for the ride.
In case you're wondering -- YES, we did go out in public like this.
Photo credit: Second Ave Photography
It was part of an assignment for a four-day business retreat where one of our pre-work activities involved waltzing around town in super hero getup for two full hours.
I almost hurled when I got the assignment delivered to my mailbox.
Instantly I settled into the fear of doing the assignment right. I was convinced I'd look like a fool, that I wouldn't find the right costume, and I wondered what in the heck everyone would think of me -- a grown adult -- wearing a cape. Eeeek!
Then, as I thought about it a bit more, I remembered that time in high school when my one girlfriend and I dressed up in costume and went to Target on Halloween night, and that other time when I lost a college bet and my friends made me dress up in a cow costume and sing karaoke.
In hindsight, I had a ton of fun doing those embarrassing things with my friends by my side. Why not have fun doing this embarrassing thing too, right?
Especially if it would earn me "mother of the year" in my child's eyes.
What began as a scary homework assignment from a trusted mentor, quickly turned into a full on crafting project with one friend designing and sewing us capes by hand, an awesome husband and daddy making us foil armbands to complete our getup, and one other friend tagging along to capture our adventures in conquering the world.
Best quote of the day? That most definitely came from the police officer who rolled down the window to exclaim, "Lookin' good ladies!" as we whooosed across the street.
My daughter and I certainly weren't your typical Wonder Woman, or Bat Girl. But we were super heroes in our own right. And, we both had a blast if you couldn't tell.
The truth is, for those of you who wonder how that supermom next door "does it all," I bet they really don't feel any more organized or on top of their game than you do. I know I don't.
(Especially with a sink full of dirty dishes and piles of dirty laundry mocking me from across the room as a I type this...)
But one thing I did learn while dressing the part of Super Mom was that a mom's strongest super power truly lies in her ability to ask for help when she needs it most.
Us moms need to enlist a team of helpers to encourage us, laugh with us, and help us accomplish the silly (and not so silly) tasks that come with raising kids. It's these special people who surround us in love, and compassion, and support that make life interesting, keep us sane, and help us embrace our inner child with ease.
Photo credit: Second Ave Photography
With the right sidekicks, it's true that anyone can be a super hero!
Right now however, this not so super mom is wishing she had a trusty sidekick to tackle those pesky dirty dishes and huge pile laundry.
Any takers?
Beryl Ayn Young is the 'Super Mom' to two amazing daughters, one busy 3 year that keeps her on her toes; and her first born angel, lost at 20 weeks pregnant, who inspired her pick up a camera and live a fulfilled life from behind the lens. She teaches moms to harness their own super powers through photography on her personal blog, where a version of this post originally appeared.