Mommy Manifesto

"Excuse me, Mrs. Dykstra... Are you missing any income as a result of this car collision?"

"I'm a stay-at-home-Mom."

"Okay, good."

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I take the emotional temperature of my family; when they need to rest, I try to provide that.

I listen to the coughs of my children at night and pray for them.

I recognize the abilities and inabilities of my children and push them to their appropriate success limits.

I shed the negativity of this world on a daily basis and direct the gaze of my children to the good in life.

I let my children express their personalities as much as I am able; their rooms are full of murals and mayhem.

I don't listen to the evening news. I declare dance parties when evenings start to become humdrum.

I pray for my friends making sure to leave room for my home team.

I cry at every TV show that shows a birth story, remembering that being a mother has been the most significant thing that has ever happened to me.

I continue to design with all my might, recognizing that my designs brought healing to my life and might offer the same to someone else.

I dance the delicate line of knowing when to save my family money and when it's best to loosen the purse strings so that they can enjoy something special.

I refuse to serve yucky food.

I choose my battles every day, taking care that no one gets caught in the cross fire. Battles about fashion have decreased 99% since my eldest was born.

I have set aside my aspirations for a magazine-ready photo shoot of my home. Nothing matches anymore and most of my worldly possessions are sticky, broken or lost.

My heart takes flight when my 8 year old tells me about a boy; I pray that she'll always feel carefree enough to tell me about this.

My three year old pushes me to the limits of my own selfish core; she is the reason I am graying. She is also the reason that I can't stop loving and dancing and giving and living.

I save my energy for the most important people in my life; I shun drama queens because they cost too much energy.

I still can't figure out the propensity of midwest women to just "grin and bear" life. But I'm trying to fit in as best I can.

Wooing the most handsome and funny man in the world is one of my best accomplishments.

I pretend like the tall grasses of the midwest are ocean waves; I'm acutely aware that I am and always will be a transplant to the midwest.

There are always 12 thoughts running in my mind at any given time. I struggle to be "present" in any situation.

I don't receive an income for any of my work but feel compelled to do what I'm doing for the health of my family. I don't care if women are working in or outside the home; they know in their hearts if what they are doing is best for their family.

I never say I'm JUST a stay at home mother because the word "JUST" diminishes the value of a person by 97%.

So, no, I haven't lost any income.

Motherhood: It's the best job I was never hired for.