My Mantra.....

So....it all happened quite by accident, me - finding a new mantra. A few months ago, the night before the last half marathon we did, I looked at my running attire...and realized that quite frankly it was all in a state of blech. So, in true 11th hour fashion, I made a trip to Walmart, hoping to find SOMETHING suitable to wear for the race in the morning. Something suitable, and cheap, that is. We're working on a budget here.

Nothing says cheap like a good clearance rack, so that's where I headed and found this little beauty:

The message on the front was a little cheesy "wonder mom"?...............I think it was a left over Mothers day T-shirt from last year, actually.

But.....it was 5 bucks, it fit, and so there you go - race shopping done.

As it turns out, it's seriously the most comfortable shirt ever, and I love it. (and I loved people cheering for 'wonder mom' during the race!, but that's a complete side note to the story)

So, I actually went BACK to Walmart the next week, and bought the only other one in my size on the clearance rack.

Every morning as I lace up to go running (really it's more of a plodding along....but let's not be technical).....I look down and see "Wonder Mom", and it's sort of rubbing on me, becoming something of a mantra for me.

Not in any prideful way, mind you. Heaven knows (and all you that know me know) that I am quite possibly as far away from Wonder Mom as I can get. But, it's given me a little extra mental oomph or something, knowing that I really CAN do it (whatever that IT happens to be for the day). I CAN run a half marathon. I CAN choose to eat healthy. I CAN learn a new song on the piano, I CAN keep things somewhat organized, I CAN learn to let it go when it happens not to, I CAN do the most important things first, and I CAN keep a better perspective on things.

Thank heavens being a 'wonder mom' doesn't mean doing all those things every day. But every day I CAN strive to be better than the day before.

Maybe the reason this is all so 'on my mind' as of late because in just a couple of weeks is my 20 year high school reunion, and it's made me reflect ALOT on the struggles I had as a youth. And the struggles were a plenty.

Just ask my mother.

And I would dare say that the vast majority.....no, I think I would say every last one of those struggles was a result of my lack of knowing 'who' I am. Oh how I would love to re-live some of those years. But that's not the plan. The plan is learning from those mistakes and experiences, moving on, and striving to be better.

So.....Wonder Mom is moving on. Moving forward. Leaving old insecurities behind, and realizing that while I am certainly not perfect by any stretch of the means.....I am me, and someone Greater than I has a purpose for me.

This new Mantra "Wonder Mom", for me is not about who I am, but more what I can become.

So, I owe Walmart some thanks, for creating a cheesy, yet somehow inspiring Mother's day shirt.