Like Mother, Like Daughter?

I learned something about myself this week: I am not my mother. My mother is a wonderful person, but I'm not her. I am me. This may seem like a no-brainer, but let me explain.

My vision of what a good wife and mother looks like comes from my own experiences with my mom. Growing up, she was a stay-at-home mom, a teacher as she home-schooled three children, a chef extraordinaire, and an amazing homemaker. She always had dinner ready and on the table when Dad got home from work and we would sit down as a family and have dinner together. She always kept the house clean and tidy, and it became ingrained in me that a happy home is a clean and organized home. Whether my mom meant to pass that on to me, that's what I got from watching my mom take care of the home. 

Now that I'm married and I have a husband and home of my own to take care of, I'm finding that these little self-expectations are arising and causing me some trouble. Especially since my married life looks different from my parents'. Joe's schedule varies every week, so dinner on the table and eating together when we get home from work every day isn't always an option. And working full-time doesn't always allow me the time to be a great cook and have a spotless house. But it's ok. I need to be a little less of a Martha personality and more of a Mary personality. I need to take the time to appreciate my husband and the time we have together, and do what I can to keep our home clean and organized. But I also need to give myself a break and if the sink piles up with dishes...there's always tomorrow.