I'm not perfect but I'm perfect for you

As moms we try and do it all. To the best of our ability. We have careers, we raise a family, we're wives, friends, bloggers, crafters. We're spectacular in the kitchen and we do things in the bedroom that would make our own moms blush.

With everything going on around us we never take the time to listen to our inner voice telling us that our best is good enough. Trying to be someone else's best is going to leave us feeling judged, inadequate and miserable.

We drown out our little voice with a great big booming thunderous roll of what 'perfect' should look like and then we strive for that.

Over the last few days weeks I've been incredibly hard on myself. I've been feeling like a fraud. At work, as a mom, as a wife. I've had this 'never gonna be good enough for anything worthwhile' feeling and I can't shake it.

In my head I feel like I've busked my way through most situations and have this idea that I've managed to 'baffle people with bullsh*t'. Something I've always disliked.

But every now and then Emma and Ben put things into perspective for me. They show me that being perfect for them is achievable. And easy.

Like on Thursday. Emma and I had popped out to see Thabani at Serendipity. It was a scorcher of a day and I had a headache and was feeling itchy in my own skin. Emma was her usual happy, demanding self.

By the time we got back home I was ready to climb the walls and find a hidey-hole in a little corner of the ceiling. But Emma wanted to swim and according to her, so did Ben. She stripped off her clothes with great abandon and outside we went. And there in the freezing cold water she told me that this was her perfect day. Me, her and Ben. Splashing in a pool. That was perfect for her.

And just yesterday we went to Sandton City en route to the #iStoreMomsandKids event. We did some window shopping and then stopped at Wimpy for lunch. We giggled and laughed. Emma sipped on her milkshake and screeched when she got brainfreeze. She got a balloon and again she announced that she was having so much fun and our day out was 'a great idea'!

At the event she immersed herself in the things around her. She ate cupcakes, drank juice, played on iPads and with her friends. And a la Emma style, she made new ones too. They slid down hills on their bum and the look on Emma's face when I joined in told me that once again she was having a perfect moment.

So what I learnt this week is that life isn't perfect but it's made up of perfect moments. That Emma, for now, thinks I'm perfect and that she loves spending time with me. I also learned that hanging out with her is like having a brain massage. It's not just a 'nice to do', it's a 'gots to do'.

So now I know. According to Emma I'm perfect. And that's perfect for me.