I love how much boys love superheroes. A few years ago, a friend of ours gave us some hand-me-down playsets and superhero figurines that her son no longer wanted. My son was on cloud nine. He would set everything up in the playroom and play for hours on end.
He loved for me to play with him and eventually he wanted me to take on the persona of a superhero. It wasn’t uncommon for him to call to me from the other room, “Wolverine! I need some more apple juice! Or “Robin, I need to go potty!”
This made me think about how inside every mom resides a cast of superheroes. We’re constantly changing roles and personas, just about as fast as Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne can change into their costumes.
Sometimes, we’re like Spiderman, catching kids (and their stuff) just like flies.
Or we’re Captain America as we shield off attacks from mean kids on the playground or from germs in public places. “Quick, here’s some sanitizer!”
A lot of days we’re Wonder Woman: managing the carpool, kid’s activities, laundry, packing lunches, and figuring out dinner every night.
Of them all, unfortunately the one I resonate with often is the Incredible Hulk. Not knowing how to control my emotions, I sometimes I take my frustrations on my kids. But I’m working on it. You too?
When I think of all the different super heroes, I want to be a blend of two of them:
Super Man
One of the days I’ve most felt like Super Mom wasn’t when I had a perfectly-themed birthday party with Pinterest-perfect favors. It wasn’t when my child was Student of the Month or when potty-training was finally finished.
It was a day when my son was still home from school. I stayed in my pajamas, sat on the floor and played with him most of the day. We colored, played super heroes and Legos. I let his imagination lead our play. I didn’t have an agenda for the day; I set my to-do list aside. And I loved it! I felt super because I enjoyed being a Mom and living in my child’s planet. I was laser-focused on him. So often I’m the one forcing him to step into my over-scheduled, running here and there life. While this type of day, sadly, cannot be my reality every day, it reminds me of how I want more days like this. I’m going to fight for more of these intentional moments with my kids.
Iron Man
While I think Iron Man is often arrogant and selfish, what I like most about him is that on his own, he doesn’t have any true super powers. Yes, he’s smart. But his power lies in his armor!
The same is true for us as moms. Although we may feel week and unqualified for our jobs as moms, we have the armor of God that equips us for the challenges that lie ahead, parenting or otherwise. Just as Tony Stark chooses when to put on his armor, we must choose to put ours on as well.
“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
– Ephesians 6:13-18 NLT
So whichever super hero you are today, we’re all in this together! We need to join forces and work together for the greater good. Instead of judging another mom’s choices, let’s pray for each other and support each other. There’s no one way to be a perfect mom, but there are so many ways to be super moms.
Armed together, we are unstoppable! After all, if we weren’t around, how would this world function? The planet would fall apart! 😉