True confessions time.

Some of the time (alright, a lot of the time), I feel completely inadequate.

I know that this a problem for some (if not a lot of) mothers, but it’s still a lonely place to be.

I’ll be trucking along, thinking I’m doing pretty well.

• We may not do tons of crafts and projects, but school seems to be going well. Everybody’s learning, at the very least, and we’re getting our lessons done every day.
• While I may not be the best housekeeper ever, the house is usually (or at least sometimes) generally presentable, and I’ll tackle a big cleaning project now and then.
• I somehow manage to stay on top of the laundry, and try to make sure my children have enough stylish, yet modest, clothes to choose from.
• I like to cook, and I try to make some of our meals from scratch.
• I also love to bake, and I have a good time making a special dessert for my family on special occasions.
• I have hobbies that I enjoy, and while my end results may not look perfect, I have fun in the process.
• I try to dress nicely, and can often pull off looking marginally put together.

But then, I come across somebody who not only does what I already do, but does it better, and so much more.

• A mom who makes every week of homeschooling fun with a big craft project and extra book baskets selections carefully chosen to go with the theme of the week.
• A wife who keeps her house spotless, even with a bunch of children underfoot.
• A mom who not only keeps up with laundry, but also sews…whether costumes or things for everyday.
• Someone who not only cooks healthy meals from scratch daily, but also finds time for things like bread baking and canning…often using produce from her own garden!
• A truly talented baker who makes things that not only taste amazing, but also look beautiful.
• A mother who not only has a hobby she enjoys, but is so good at it that she can use it to make gifts or even supplement her family’s income.
• A woman with an innate sense of style, who always looks fabulous, not just in clothing, but shoes, accessories, hair, and makeup, and often does it on a budget.

The worst is when, very occasionally, you run into someone who is able to do all of these things, all of the time…or at least makes it look like she does.Overachiever, perfectionist, whatever you want to call her, she’s someone you can’t help but admire, and yet know you’ll never live up to. Someone you wish you could be like, just for a little bit, because you know everybody around you would benefit from it, but you just can’t pull it off.

It’s easy when you encounter someone like this to feel like throwing in the towel. If you can’t do it all, maybe you should just try to give up doing any of it. For the most part, though, you keep at it, no matter how inadequate you feel. I think God puts people like this in our paths to teach us humility, to show us that we have areas that we could improve. I can’t help but wish, though, that just once I was that person that does it all, instead of always being the one wishing I could just measure up!