There’s this old saying that goes “opposites attract.”

Ok, actually, I’m an 80’s kid at heart, and I was basically raised by Paula Abdul, so really, I’m referring to her song. But I’m sure it’s also an old saying. Or something.

But basically, Paula taught me that opposites attract with catchy lyrics like “I like it quiet….(enter naughty boy’s voice)….but I like to SHOUT! And when we get together it just all works out!”

And this is so true for my husband and I. While there’s no denying that we are totally compatible in every way (ok, in every way that matters to ME, like we travel really well together…..except for that one time that we didn’t), it’s also clear to anyone who’s met us that we are complete opposites. 

This goes for major things like how incredibly introverted he is (But me? “Hi! I’m an extrovert! Can we be friends?!”), politics, how we prefer to handle our finances, etc. It also goes for minor things, like what time to go to bed at night, wake up in the morning, how we pack for trips, how we grocery shop or clean the house.

Despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum (any spectrum, every time) we’re actually really good together. He keeps me grounded, stable, secure, rational and grabs my ankles when my head is floating so high up in the clouds that I may just fly away completely.

Meanwhile, I help him to have fun, be crazy, laugh his head off and keep him amused (or maybe bemused?) Anyway, I need his serene and calming influence to function in a world that’s made for grown-ups, and he needs the love, respect, and pure adoration that comes from being married to someone who’s your #1 fan, and extroverted enough to SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!

And here’s the part I love the most: not surprisingly, we were raised in completely different environments. Our parents can’t be more different – their parenting styles, political beliefs, world views, and even religion are drastically different from one another. He slept in a crib, in his very own nursery! I coslept, snuggled up with my mom. He was raised by two parents, with a stay-at-home-mom. I was raised by a single, working mom. And I could go on and on, but you’ll just have to trust me – we were raised differently.

But yet, here we are, compatible, happy and living our best life!

So what does that mean?

Over the holidays, I kept seeing a hashtag floating around social media. 

#IAmThisKindOfMom

And moms were taking social media by storm and listing all the things they weren’t….and all the things they WERE. It was so refreshing to see women embracing themselves in this way. I think we should celebrate all the ways in which we are different.

Because we all know #momguilt and it’s a terrible feeling.

We have two choices – one to continuously force ourselves to fit into a mold of what we think we should be more of, or just accept and marinate in who we really are. Imagine if my mom or my husband’s parents had tried to be something else. We likely wouldn’t have become the people we are today if our parents hadn’t been their authentic selves.

What the world needs is more people being themselves unapologetically. And while the kind of mom I am is likely different from the kind of mom YOU are, the good news is that there’s room in this big, beautiful world for both us. And our kids need us to be unapologetically authentic so that they can do the same. 

So, what kind of mom am I?

I am NOT:

I am not a crafty mom

I am not a Pinterest mom

I am not a “your happiness is my #1 priority” mom

I am not an organized and “on a schedule” mom

I am not a stay-at-home-mom

I am not a sports mom

I am not a neat and tidy house at all times mom

I am not a “let’s get down on the floor and play for hours” mom

I AM:

I am a “laundry and dishes can wait” mom

I am an “I’ll cook everyone a different dinner entree” mom

I am a “let’s be spontaneous and go on adventures” mom

I am a “let’s bake cookies for breakfast” mom

I am a “let’s hop on an international flight” mom

I am a “rage against the machine” and “move heaven and hell to advocate for my child” mom

And I’m embracing that fully. So, what kind of mom are you? Leave a comment and let me know!

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