October meeting recap... the Mom Comparison Trap!

Last Thursday was our second MOPS meeting of the year... so much fun! So glad to see all you ladies... we're averaging 56 moms per meeting this year, which is pretty much awesome. Y'all keep inviting your friends... we'd love to have them!

Quick business recap:

• Semester/yearly dues were due at the Oct meeting. It's $30 per semester or $60 per year. If you invite someone to MOPS & they decide to join, our trusty treasurer Melissa will calculate a prorated amount. And if you love MOPS & want to join, but the dues are an obstacle, pleasepleasePLEASE let us know & we'll work something out. Money should definitely not be a reason for someone to miss out on our mama fellowship.
• We had sign-ups for the MOPS photo sessions, which will be on Friday, Oct 25th. The cost is $40 per 30-minute session. All of the slots are booked (yay!), but we have a waiting list available as well. Please contact me (Sarah) if you'd like to be added to the waiting list. I'll be in touch with everyone who booked a session with location details.

For our craft, we made votives that are perfect for fall! Tutorial to follow soon...

This month's speaker was Rozalynn Goodwin, who is the Director of Policy Research & a lobbyist for the South Carolina Hospital Association. She's been recognized as a rising business leader in The State Newspaper's annual "20 under 40" feature, & has been published on the MOPS International website as well as MOPS's MomSense Magazine.

Rozalynn spoke on the dangers of the Mom Comparison Trap. I capitalize it because it's a big deal, people. We've all felt it at some point, we've all read Facebook statuses or looked at pictures or perused Pinterest & felt inadequate, even if it's only for a brief, fleeting second.

Rozalynn writes:

I wanted to be a SAHM yesterday... or at least a WAHM. Anything but a WAWM (work at work mom -- I just made that up).  

I make this statement having fully accepted that it may result in my name being crossed off the guest list for the Supermom Soiree that I assume occurs annually. I have not yet been invited. Quite frankly, I don't care if I am invited to join ladies discussing how they grow their own fruits & vegetables, cook & can them, all after a typical 10.5 hour day in the office; just in time to give four children baths, pedicures & manicures, & make wild passionate love to their husbands.  

I "don't do" fake people well.  (click here to read complete post)

She went on to share the challenges of being a working mom, the guilt of not being able to be in two places at once, the drama of potty-training & the story of Lola the Monkey (which she also shares in this blog post).

Rozalynn shared 2 Corinthians 10:12, which says that we should not classify or compare ourselves to others... that it isn't wise.

She writes:

Mommy guilt is real and often the result of unrealistic self-expectations. No mom can have it ALL. There are trade-offs and seasons for every aspect of work and life.  

And no other mom, whether at home or in the workplace, has it easy. The quicker we recognize that, the quicker we can get on with our lives and the fulfillment of family and individual purpose that awaits us.  

Click here to check out Rozalynn's blog, "Spit Up On My Blazer."