Kara Lawler - A Letter for Every Mother

Motherhood. Doesnt that word sound kind of funny? It sounds so sterile and formal, and yet, being a mom is anything but that. Its messy, crazy, exciting, wonderful, laughable, frustrating, tiring, and so much more all rolled into one. Its sticky hands, clogged toilets, dances in the rain, goose eggs on foreheads, and lots of tickles. Its bringing home a bad report card but making the winning touchdown on the same day. Its teenage angst mixed with heartfelt conversations over dinner. Its eating breakfast together and laughing until milk pours out your nostrils. Its your toddler spilling his drink for the 4,557th time. Its terrifying, magical, and magnificent. Its exhausting in the best way. Its an ongoing, work-in-progress kind of calling like nothing else on earth. Thats real motherhood.

There are lots of us mommies out there, and yet we sometimes feel so alone in our mothering. Why is that? I think most of us are afraid. Were scared that we are the only ones whose kids arent hitting the milestones. We hide our faces and cringe as our children seem to be the only kids who dont sit quietly in the shopping cart while we shop for groceries. We cry alone in our pantries and tell ourselves that we arent cut out to be good moms, and then we dry our eyes and put on a smile for the friends coming over for dinner. When asked if we are okay, well say yes, but inside our hearts, we know thats not the truth and wonder if were the only moms who are struggling.

Sweet Mama, you are not the only one. Every mom experiences struggles and triumphs. Its part of the beautiful calling of motherhood, and that is exactly why A Letter for Every Mother is a must-read. Both writers as well as mothers, Regan Long and Kara Lawler share their heartfelt thoughts and experiences through honest words and insightful perspective. In a collection of letters, Long and Lawler address motherhood and the various seasons we all go through as moms head-on.

With letters like Dear Crying Baby, Dear Friend: You Are Enough, and To THAT Family, Long and Lawler magnificently weave humor and heart throughout their sincere and poignant testimonies to motherhood. They even address specific mom experiences in letters like To the Mom of the Autistic Child. As seasoned bloggers who have written numerous viral posts for the Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, and other publications, Long and Lawler join forces to utilize their undoubted writing talent and their personal experiences of motherhood to encourage every mom, no matter the circumstance.

One of my favorite letters in the book is To the Mom on the Sidelines at the Water Park. This letter explores how one mom, Lawler, chooses to stay on the sidelines and refuses to put on a swimsuit because in her mind, her body isnt good enough. Shes embarrassed, frustrated, and feels inadequate. As she is standing there watching her little one play in the splash area, another mother catches her eye. Lawler is struck by the sheer joy beaming from this moms face as she splashes arounduninhibited by the swimsuit she wears on her unchiseled bodywith her kids and others all around. I love how Lawler goes on to describe her feelings in that moment:

I admired her and felt ashamed and stupid for sitting on the sidelines, covered up while my husband played with our kids. So I jumped up and ran into the water sprinklers to play with my kids. And as my clothing became soaked, I laughed at how silly I was for not wearing my bathing suit. I even said this to the mom at the water park. She smiled and said, Its okay. I understand. We shared a knowing look, the look women share when we really understand one another. And I felt at peace, for the moment, with my body.

I love her transparency. She took words right out of my mind and heart that I have been too afraid to admit. That is precisely why I believe this book is a tremendous blessing for any mom who has been feeling less than or too afraid to admit she has been struggling for a long time.

Sweet Mama, we NEED this. We need honest conversation. We need to know that we arent alone. We need to hear other mothers say they have been there, too, and they got through it.

Reading A Letter for Every Mother is like having a cup of coffee with a friend. It will perk you up and make you smile, but it will also move you to tears and give you the reassurance and encouragement you so desperately need to receive. Long and Lawler have created something extra special with A Letter for Every Mother. As a wife and mother of four little boys, and a blogger myself, I know that life can be super crazy at times. I loved reading these letters at the end of a hectic daywhen I thought for sure that I had blown itand finding that another mom had been there, too. Reader, you are certainly in for a treat with this book. So dive in, open your heart, and know that you are a valued part of the tribe on this amazing journey through motherhood.