There\u2019s a young couple at church that we like hanging out with.\u00a0\u00a0 They\u2019re in their twenties and just starting out, but so smart and fun that they just are miles and years ahead of where we were at that age.\u00a0 They don\u2019t treat us like the old fogeys we are, who wouldn\u2019t like that?<\/p>\n
Last weekend after Mass, she remarked to me that I gave her hope that moms of big families could be stylish and wear something other than plaid or denim jumpers.\u00a0 I\u2019m thrilled that she thinks I\u2019m stylish, I try but have my doubts sometimes.\u00a0 Her comment got me to wondering why does having children automatically equal frumpiness?<\/p>\n
We try to encourage our children about the wonders and joy of a big family, but what message does the way we look send to them?\u00a0 It is difficult to speak of the beauty of this life when the face we give it is outdated and unattractive.\u00a0 We say that physical appearances shouldn\u2019t matter, that it\u2019s the inside that counts.\u00a0 Let\u2019s be honest, the outside matters, too.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the most important thing, but if we are walking through life with grizzled, frizzy hair, ill-fitting clothes, and a sullen expression\u2026.who wants to be that?\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to be a woman and understand how clothes are supposed to fit us.\u00a0 What looks amazing at 20 looks dreadful at 40 and ghastly at 60.\u00a0 Our bodies change radically after having babies, but we don\u2019t want to admit it even to ourselves.\u00a0 We keep wishing for that 20 year old body and so never learn to work with what we have.\u00a0 It\u2019s a shame, because grown up women can look amazing and feel so good about themselves if they are simply honest about what\u2019s in the mirror.<\/p>\n
We need to not be afraid to try things on or to take a brutally honest friend to the store when we shop.\u00a0 (Have I mentioned the importance of an honest friend before?)\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t have to be as difficult as we let it become.\u00a0 We hang on to clothes we once loved but can\u2019t wear because some day we will lose that belly and they will look amazing.\u00a0 We won\u2019t ever totally lose the belly, and if we did the clothes would be outdated anyway.<\/p>\n
So what am I talking about?\u00a0 Just basic good care and maintenance.\u00a0 Most moms aren\u2019t going to look like fashion models, but we can at least put as much effort into our own looks as we do into our children\u2019s appearances.\u00a0 (It drives me crazy to see little girls decked out from the flower in their hair to the cute shoes on their feet while mom tries to be invisible in her hole-y t-shirt and torn, frayed jeans and flip flops.\u00a0 Mom deserves better.)<\/p>\n
We just need to begin and the rest will follow. (Me as much as anyone.) Here\u2019s my to-do list:<\/p>\n
It is our responsibility to put a good face on Catholic motherhood.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t appear to be enjoying our lives, who will listen to our words?\u00a0 What kind of people want to follow in the footsteps of miserable people?\u00a0 We owe it to ourselves and those who will come after us to love ourselves and make an effort.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll go first.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There\u2019s a young couple at church that we like hanging out with.\u00a0\u00a0 They\u2019re in their twenties and just starting out, but so smart and fun that they just are miles and years ahead of where we were at that age.\u00a0 They don\u2019t treat us like the old fogeys we are, who wouldn\u2019t like that? Last […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1979,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n