We are all in this together.

There are all kinds of moms out there. There's the Kate, the single mom raising her kids trying to be the perfect mom. There's the Michelle, the mom of many who can home school 19 kids and not go crazy. Then we find the Carol, the mom of kids and step kids who can keep on smiling and solve any problem in just thirty minutes and still have dinner on the table with the help of Alice. Then there is me. I am not like any of these moms, but I love to watch them.

Each of us is different. Some of us are shy and some are loud. Some of us are structured and some of us use our daytimers as a place to doodle. Some of us get up early and catch the worm and some of us don't really like worms and prefer to sleep in.

The kids that we raise are all different too. They all have different challenges and needs which makes the things that we do and the ways that we head into the day so different from each other. But we are all alike in one thing. We all want our children to have great futures. We want them to shine and to soar and to be the kind of people that we would like. We are all alike in that we are on a journey to get our kids there. And the journey is not easy. It is not for the faint of heart. There are moments when our kids make us so crazy and there are moments that warm our hearts and make it all worthwhile.

This year we will walk this journey together. There may be a mom at your table who looks like she has it all together, but may be so lonely for an adult to talk with. There may be a mom at your table who is shy and doesn't add to the conversation, but she is there drinking in all the advice, hoping it will give her the energy to face her toddler and baby when she gets home. There may be a mom at your table who comes in ragged and worn out, she is there for the hot breakfast and the encouragement to keep on fighting. I am every one of those moms and you are too depending on where we are in our journey. At MOPS, we will walk through our lives with these ladies around us. So when you see a Kate or a Michelle or a Carol or me, give a smile, a wave, a hug. We all need it. We are all here for the same things. We are all in this together.