I am not “Wonder Woman”…I make choices
I get the how the whole image of “Wonder Woman” came about! DC Comics had a hit with Superman and of course we all know that while we love the knight in shining armor love stories,we women have our place as well! While we all know the reality is that we are mere humans, the pressure is still on for women that want to do it all.
I appreciate seeing photos of us with no make up on, with baby puke on our shirts, running our children around, date nights with our spouses, piles of laundry behind us and so on because that’s the reality. While the world tends to love our Facebook live videos and glammed up selfies, very few have a clue of what is going on behind the scenes.
Processing my day as a working mom most times come very late at night. In our household there are 6 of us. One teenager, (full blown teenager too!) one pre-teen, and 3 year old twins. There is hardly ever a dull moment in my house. Our twins have now made the question “what are we doing today” something that I have nightmares about. Our older children have sports, dances, social lives to keep up with, and need a ride to every destination. I love to cook food so I try, as much as possible, to keep watch on what my family eats and make sure we have that time to communicate about what is going on in our worlds as well. Some weeks it’s four days that I get to cook, but some weeks it’s only two!
My most recent Facebook live was able to take place because my father came over and took my girls in the back yard and taught them how to ride their bikes. Daddy, who is a very active father, had to work late, so grandpa and I made it happen. When it was over, I packed them up and took them for a ride until they fell asleep. The silence was golden! It had been a long day of office work for the non profit that I am Founder and Executive Director for, but like most parents, we love to see the excitement in our children’s eyes when they get a yes for something that is so simple for us to supply.
Marriage takes work! It takes two people that are fully invested in family to make things work. It takes communication, respect, love actions, and understanding. We take our date nights serious. There are always little ears around that lead to 4-6 way conversations (depends on the level of interest in the topic lol). What starts out being a two way conversation ends up being way more, so we have our time away. To make sure our busy worlds stay connected, to laugh, to woosah, to enjoy a good meal without “oooh that looks good, can I have some”?
Early mornings and late nights is primetime for a lot of us! We get to process the days and wrap up the night. One of my strengths is morning prayer. I get to spend time with God, allow Him to speak to me about my life, family, business, future, and how to love the way that He wants me to. This is my strength, this is where I get my vision for the days, weeks, months, and years to come. Above anything else, I want to please God. Second, I want to be an example, with my husband, for our children. It is on my knees in prayer that I gain the strength needed to take on all that is going on in my families world. It is what I have when I stand up that allows me to choose to do it another day!
My point of telling you all of this is that it’s not glamorous. It’s intentional. It’s the choice that we all made as women to be what the world calls “Wonder Women”. The reality is we are just hard workers that make the choice to get up the next day and keep going toward greatness!!! Sometimes there is the blanket that is tear soaked due to being tired, seeing some of the things that my kids have to face in their lives and praying for them, or even the self-imposed pressure from desiring success. I am a breast cancer survivor, so those tears can very easily be the nerves that can overtake me for my yearly mammograms and mri’s.
Ladies, make the choices necessary for your families, your lives, and please remember to form healthy relationships that encourage you being restored! Find the right friends, even though they may be few, that sharpen you and encourage you to be better inside and out. Join a gym or get out often to relieve some stress and stay physically healthy at the same time. Let’s go on vacations, even if that is out to a retreat to go see your favorite movies when they come out. Be the the network that we need for one another. Root on another sister that we see winning and support whenever possible! We have come so far, and I am excited to see what the next generation of young women are going to accomplish! WE have work to do!
Mercedes Wilson
Wife, mother, E.D., and Author of Hope