Today Was Not My Day

A few weeks ago, my six-year-old son headed to his semi-final baseball game, and of course, he really wanted to win. Little did he know what was in store. Shortly after he entered the dugout, he tripped on a bag and fell hard to the ground, tearing up his arms and knees. When he got up to bat, the ball hit his hand hard, causing him to cry. He toughed it out and stayed up to bat, but struck out. His team ended up losing the game. When the teams did the “high-five” line after the game, a boy on the other team hit my son’s hand as hard as he could (not knowing that it was his injured hand). And when you’d think it couldn’t get any worse, when the coach pulled Karter’s “end-of-season” trophy out of the box, the bat was broken off of his trophy.

When Karter got home from the game, he wanted to be alone and not talk about it. I suggested he take a bath, and he thought that was a good idea.

About 10 minutes later, I quietly opened the bathroom door and peeked in. I saw his little slumped, defeated shoulders...my heart hurt for him. I knelt to the ground, and gently asked, “Are you ready to talk about it now?”

He bit his lower lip, trying to hold back the tears. I bit my lip too, trying to hold back my tears. His head dropped down as he said, “Today was not my day, Mom.” My heart broke into pieces as I listened to my little guy tell me all about his rough day.

When he was done, I did my best to comfort and uplift him. “Guess what? I have days like that too. Some days are just not good. Everyone has bad days. But you know what? Everyone has good days, too. Tomorrow will be better. I promise. There are so many good days ahead.”

Shortly after this sweet moment with my son, the Holy Ghost enlightened my mind to compare this experience to motherhood. Some days (and nights) of motherhood are downright HARD—there is no sugar coating it. There are days accompanied with tears, fatigue, bewilderment, and more tears. And guess what? This isn’t wrong! This is NORMAL. Sometimes we feel guilty, less-than, or ashamed for having miserable days—but we shouldn’t. Our hard days are shaping us, and setting the stage for some pretty amazing days ahead.

Boyd K. Packer taught, “It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. Teach our members that if they have a good, miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out. There is great purpose in our struggle in life.”

My little man stood steady while up to bat, even after he got hit by the ball. And even though he stayed up to bat, he still struck out. But the important thing is he didn’t give up. He finished his game. As mothers, we can follow his child-like example. When life throws us curve balls, we must stand steady—trusting that things will straighten out. Heavenly Father will be with us every step of the way. He might not go up to bat for us, but He is completely aware of our miserable days. He also knows that our “strike-outs” are helping to create our future “home-runs.”

Ironically, the miserable days of motherhood help set the stage for the most beautiful days of motherhood. Sleepless nights teach me to relish restful nights. Sick kids teach me to appreciate healthy kids. Tantrums and crying teach me to savor playing and giggles. Trial and error teach me to find solutions. Questions teach me deep gratitude for God’s answers. Laundry and chores teach me to practice patience. Bad days teach me to recognize good days.

My son’s “terrible day” created a sweet moment between mother and son. After his bath, he got into his pajamas, and I held him on my lap (a rare occasion now days). I told him how proud I was that he kept trying. His adorable face was beaming and we were both filled with love. He snuggled in closer and said, “Thanks, Mom. Sometimes we just have terrible days.” 

I know a loving Heavenly Father is proud of us for facing our hard days. I know He loves us deeply and stands ready to help with open arms. I know He feels great gratitude for our dedication and commitment to raising His children. I know He is cheering us on as we embark on this challenging, but beautiful, journey of motherhood.