Best Mom Ever

I was flicking through stories on Instagram when my thumb came to a screeching halt and my eyeballs recoiled in horror. 

A decor and DIY influencer and mother to a darling four-year-old boy was listing out other Instagram ladies who inspire her, and named another influencer mama as "the best mom ever."

Mamacitas, please. Let's leave the superlatives and rankings to the top tier Olympic athletes and remind ourselves, once again, that mothering is not a competition. 

There is no such thing as an overall, prize-winning, gold medal "best mom ever."

And not a single one of us moms should waste any of our precious time and energy by comparing ourselves to other moms in that way.

But just in case you are the kind of mom who occasionally finds herself looking at the other moms whose kids are not eating sticks at the park or making peanut butter mohawks in their hair, and consequently worrying about whether you measure up, let me assure you.

You - yes, YOU - are the best mom ever for your kids. 

Whether we birth or adopt, we parents do not choose our children. We have no control over 

their personalities,

their temperaments, 

their needs, 

their gifts, 

their adorable and occasionally annoying quirks. 

Some One, some Thing, some Force of the Universe chooses our children for us. I call that force God, and I dare to believe that he makes no mistakes. 

Our children come to us because they are destined to be ours, and we are destined to be theirs. 

And despite all the emotional bumps and bruises of life together, there is no one on this planet who can be a better mother to your children than you. 

You - yes, YOU - are the best mom ever for your child. 

So who cares if other mothers are sedately leading their two-year-olds through hour-long origami sessions or teaching their kindergartners to bake a souffle while you and your kid are throwing Cheerios to the dog who expertly catches them on the fly. 

And what difference does it make if you and your child prefer to lie outdoors in the grass and stare up at the sky while other parents are helping their kids perfect their soccer moves or sewing ribbons on toe shoes for their darling's starring role in The Nutcracker?

Trust me, it's perfectly fine if your kids go to the beach, and instead of water-coloring the landscape or turning a row of perfect cartwheels in the damp sand, they choose to, um, suck on rocks. And not only do you let them, but you laugh and take a photo. 

What I'm saying is that there are lots of wonderful ways to be a kid, and as parents, we have lots of wonderful ways to support them. 

So please, mamas, watch and learn as your children grow and adventure into the world. Find out what makes each one tick and cheer them on. Encourage them and comfort them, as each day's ups and downs require. And trust yourself to be the best mom ever for your children.

Because that is exactly what you are.