Confession #12: Sometimes I dress up. Sometimes I don't.

Yesterday I was busy with house work, a touch of grocery shopping, and, of course, playing with my boys. I don't have a picture of me yesterday. But picture how I look in the picture below except the dress was pink and with a different haircut:

Today I was busy with housework and playing with my boys. I looked like this:

Why am I posting this? Because for a moment today I felt lousy about how I looked. Because I was worried about what other people thought about how I looked. Yesterday I felt self-conscious because I felt over dressed at the grocery store. But I'd chosen to wear the dress that day and we needed milk. Today I felt self-conscious because my ex-husband brought a bunch of people I didn't know with him when he picked up the boys.

Then I realized that my boys loved me yesterday and loved me today and they'll love me tomorrow. For the most part, how I dress has little affect on how I care for my boys. Yesterday and today were only slightly different as far as my relationship with them was concerned. We ate meals together, danced together, played with cars, and did some laundry both days. They didn't care whether I did my make up or put time into my hairstyle. They didn't care whether I was dressed up or in a t-shirt and shorts. All they cared was that I loved them and showed that love in ways they recognized.

I believe in good hygiene. I believe in dressing appropriately such as modestly or as etiquette requires. (I wouldn't wear the t-shirt and shorts to church, for example.) But I don't believe in dressing out of fear of the judgment of others. I've done that before and all it did was hurt me. It didn't help anyone.

Now, I'm sure most of you are looking at this and see a beautiful woman in both pictures. Which is kind of the point of this post. In order to be Supermom, I'm learning to let go of incorrect perceptions built from years of mixed, confusing experiences. I'm beautiful and I know it. But sometimes I listen to the voices that try to convince me otherwise. Voices that would distract me from my role as a mother and cause my family and I unhappiness if I listen to them.

So today I chose to listen to the voices that told me I was beautiful no matter what.

P.S. Most days I dress at a level in between the two examples shown. Depends on my mood and, as mentioned earlier, the occasion.