I’m going to be “that” mom.

It’s probably fair to say that I’m already “that” mom. I’m the mom who some roll their eyes at when I show up at the park with an assortment of colorful and homemade healthy food for my kids to eat. Not because I’m judging them when I give a sideways glance at their $5 pizza or chicken nuggets they brought, but because I sometimes envy how easy it was to just grab some lunch.

I’m “that” mom who questions everything about a meal and how it was made, or asks what’s being served before so I can prepare a similar gluten free, grain free, healthy alternative to bring along. Not because I’m trying to be rude or question your cooking ability (me and most of my family will enjoy every bite), I’m just trying to see if it’s okay for one of my daughters to eat. Consequently, I’m “that” mom who has a cart full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and expensive organic stuff and never enough grocery money.

However, I won’t ask that the entire menu for a group, the class, the party, be altered to my strict dietary specifications. I won’t ask everyone to make exceptions just for us. My daughter understands that too. She understands that she’s different. She can’t quite figure out why she’s different, she just knows that she can’t eat what everyone else eats because it makes her really sick. That’s hard for a five year old to accept sometimes.

It’s even harder now. Because, now I’m “that” mom who doesn’t really know the answer or how to accept it either. I’m just hoping and praying after the doctors told us, “it might not be Celiac disease after all…it’s possibly Crohn’s disease…it could be both…it could be neither…we don’t know”,  that there’s another answer besides medication for the rest of her life.

However, I’m going to be “that” mom who shows my children – all four of them – that faith, family, humor, hard work, and choosing the right is more important than being like everyone else. That keeping our bodies healthy and our hearts turned to God should be an individual and life-long mission. I’m going to be “that” mom who messes up, forgets, fails, forgives, and tries again and hopefully my children will learn to do the same.

I’m going to be “that” mom who steps out of her comfort zone. Who is understanding and helps other. Who keeps working toward a goal until I reach it. Who makes a difference. Who chooses the right. I’m going to be strong and courageous, funny and adventurous, inquisitive and thoughtful. That mom who smiles and laughs, finds the positives in every situation, teaches truths, and loves unconditionally.

I’m going to be “that” mom who will not be overcome with anxiety because I am partners with an amazingly strong and faithful husband and we are partners with God.

Yes, I’m going to be “that” mom