Thursday, February 09, 2006

Can I Take It?

First of all I'd like to say I wrote a much longer and more amazing post that none of you will get to read because BLOGGER crashed or something and lost it!! Not that I value the time I put into writing it while my daughter was napping which she won't be for much longer!! So if the following sucks, blame BLOGGER not me.

I admit it. I am sensitive. I was very upset when I read one of my favorite blogs last night. It made me question whether or not I wanted to continue blogging. She wrote about why she blogs (among other things) which is similar to why many of us do it. We don't do it so that we can receive hateful comments (which she deletes) and emails or to be accused of copying another more popular blogger. (What are we in high school?) She didn't mention how she is plenty popular herself (I wonder what that would be like?) and doesn't need to copy anyone. She's gracious that way.

It made me start to wonder if I could take that sort of criticism myself. I am not a perfect mother. I am not always smiling at my daughter, singing a happy tune whilst changing her poopy diaper. Not by a long shot. Some day Audrey will have public temper tantrums. She will fall and bump her head. And I will write about it. The reason I started to blog was because I wanted to be another mom out there telling the truth. Reading the blogs of the mothers I admire rescued me from self pity and despair. Mothers who are honest about their depression, frustration and exhaustion. Mothers I could relate to.

Not the mothers and other people who are so perfect (or so they think) that they feel compelled to make hateful comments and send accusatory emails to people I respect. I guess we imperfect mothers give the perfect people a measuring stick to compare themselves against. I'd like to hit them all right in the face with that stick.

If I was given a glimpse of the awfulness contained in those comments and emails I might decide to delete my blog right now and never look back. Instead, in my (almost) ignorance I will continue and pray to be shielded from those people out there who would judge me for being honest about my imperfection.

4 comments:

Sugarmama said...

Aw, shucks! Thanks for linking my blog there, Mama D.

And thanks also for the electronic high five on my post today. I know it's no sin, really, to be fed up sometimes with your own young'un, but I do wonder sometimes if someone will object to me saying it out loud. Or, you know, in a public forum. I suppose I could handle the disapproval from a stranger in that I wouldn't just close up blog shop. But it feels much better to put it all out there--whatever it is--and know that someone else totally gets it. I, for one, intend to keep on putting it out there. Hopefully you'll do the same.

Anonymous said...

OH! Mama D! You just made me feel so special! Thanks for that link!

If there is a woman out there who claims to be a perfect mother, then she is quite delusional. There is no such thing.

I'm so glad I found you!

bon said...

Color me tickled pink to be up there with these great Mom's and bloggers in your linkylove! Mama D... I'm right there with you, I get hurt so easy I'm not sure what I'll do when a flamer, hater or troll come to pay their respects... or lack therof. In real life no one messes with me much because, I suspect, I produce this "I won't survive if you are mean to me," pheremone. Does scent travel on DSL? How 'bout dial up, 'cause now ya have ME worried!

Lynanne said...

ohmygosh I didn't expect to see my blog there in a million years.[blush!!] wow, thank you!

I agree with you - I love to read blogs that keep it real. I cringed when I read Very Mom's blog. I absolutely despise popularity contests and cliques. The nastiness that goes along with all of that just turns my stomach. Its bad enough offline- why does it have to creep into blogs as well.

Every time I read your blog you give me something to think about. It's very refreshing to know there are other moms out there that are only human. I hope you keep up your blog despite the jerks out there.