“Who is cheering for me?” she said.
She was up all night asking this question with tears falling down her face. Her husband sleeping next to her while he rested for the marathon he would run the next day. Her family ready to cheer him on.
And she held this question in her hands wondering.
“Who is cheering for me?”
My heart ached when I heard her say this, because I wanted to reassure and fix her. I am cheering for you.
I wanted to tell her, “I think you are amazing. I think you are kind, tender-hearted and such a great mom. I admire the passion you put into your children and the way you live your life!”
I wanted to tell her these things.
I wanted to explain to her the impact just her being herself makes on this world.
I want to tell her that while she runs another carpool, or runs another load of laundry or dishes, we…the women who know and love her, are cheering for her.
That fighting through this crazy thing called life and motherhood and just being a woman itself, deserves a medal.
I posted a picture on Facebook on Sunday announcing my exciting news that I have another book coming out in 2017. I pondered posting it. Because I don’t want anyone seeing that news of mine and thinking, “What about me?”
Because I do that. You do that. And I know as women WE do that.
But, what you don’t see in this world of social media and highlight reels is that we desperately need each other. We need a cheering section. I need a cheering section. You don’t see the struggle behind the photo, the insane amount of doubt and fear I have. The constant question I toil over, “Who do I think I am that I can write a book!” The crazy way I can make my own good news, not good news.
I only am able to do any of life because of my cheering section.
My friends, family, and God who know the messy me and still say, “GO FOR IT! YOU CAN DO IT!”
Jealousy robs us of community and togetherness. It keeps us isolated. It keeps us alone. I can get caught up in it so often. Why can’t I do what she is doing? Why can’t I have what she has? Why can’t my life be as easy as hers?
Ugggh.
It is a mirage. It isn’t real.
To imagine that any of us are without pain and suffering is to build a wall of denial about what it is like to truly live in this world.
As women, we can be the worst and meanest about it.
We need to drop the act. Drop the image that we all have it together.
Because we don’t. None of us do.
We are ALL merely stumbling along in this life trying to figure it out.
So can’t we be a cheering section for each other? Can’t we instead of saying, “Oh, I want what you have.” Say, “You go girl!” Let’s hold up signs for each other, let’s encourage each other, and when one of us is beaming with joy and happy news…. let us scream and cheer and bear hug each other.
Women, we are each other’s cheering section! Let’s BE that for each other.
xo – Lee