It is no secret that this past late winter and spring with Little G was very, VERY challenging for me. We were stuck inside most days and he was desperate to communicate and I was desperate to not have to entertain him constantly and I was exhausted and he was ornery and it was all a HUGE recipe for awfulness.
We have passed through that stage, finally, but for a while, I really thought I would be there for a long. long. time.
Then one day, I heard Pink's newest hit, Less Than Perfect. As I listened to the lyrics, it quickly became my warrior anthem. Bear with me, but when I listened to it, it sounded exactly like me...mistreating and doubting myself; failing at motherhood some days and picking myself up by the bootstraps and trying it again the next; second guessing myself at every turn.
And I could imagine that the chorus was what Little G would tell me if he could. He doesn't know any other mother, so to him, I AM perfect.
As Pink starts her newest chapter in her life with a new baby, I often think about how someday, no matter how many nannies she has, she is going to end up doubting herself as a mother. We all do. And I hope she can remember this song that has given me so much hope.
Pretty, Pretty Please by Pink
Made a wrong turn
once or twice.
Dug my way out,
blood and fire.
Bad decisions,
that's alright.
Welcome to my silly life.
Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood!
Miss "No way,It's all good", it didn't slow me down
Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated!
Look, I'm still around...
Pretty pretty please!
Don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than,
Less then Perfect
Pretty pretty please
If you ever ever feel like you're nothing
You are Perfect to me!
You're so mean
When you talk about yourself, you were wrong
Change the voices in your head
Make them like you instead
So complicated, look how happy you'll make it!
Filled with so much hatred... such a tired game
It's enough! I've done all I can think of
Chased down all my demons, I've seen you do the same.
Oh, pretty pretty please
Don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than
Less then Perfect
Pretty pretty please
If you ever ever feel like you're nothing
You are Perfect to me
The whole world's scared so I swallow the fear
The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer
So cool in line, and we try try try,
But we try too hard and it's a waste of my time
Done looking for the critics, cause they're everywhere
They dont like my jeans, they don't get my hair
Exchange ourselves, and we do it all the time
Why do we do that? Why do I do that?
Why do I do that?
Yeah, oh, oh baby, pretty please!
Pretty pretty please,
Don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than
Less then perfect
Pretty pretty please
If you ever ever feel
Like you're nothing, you are Perfect to me Yeaaahhh...!
You are Perfect, you're Perfect!
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing
You are Perfect to me.
Recently I read a magazine blurb about how we deal with imperfections, and it got me thinking about how we DEFINE perfection and imperfection. Too often, ***especially*** in parenting, "perfection" is something defined by other people that may not be best for US.... Long way of saying, though dear heavens do I know what you mean about the difficult days, that I'll bet Little G is perfect for who Little G is meant to be, and I'll bet you are the perfect You to raise him.
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