The 5 Rules of the World


Every mother is struggling with something.

For some moms reading this, your struggle is a public one. You are sick, you are going through a divorce, you have a difficult child who has made you feel like the subject of a witch hunt for the “bad mother” supposedly at fault.

For even more moms reading this, your struggle takes place in private. You face difficulties in your marriage, in your family, in your body, in the unseen recesses of your mind.

The struggles in life will change, they will become louder and quieter, but they will never end. That’s just the way God made the world, and that God made us.

So when I discovered this list of the 5 Rules of the World, it made me smile. Here it is:

1. You may not have anything wrong with you or be different in any way.
2. If there is something wrong with you or you are different, get over it!
3. If you can’t get over it, you must pretend that you have.
4. If you can’t even pretend, then please don’t leave your house. It’s difficult for others to have you around.
5. If you insist on leaving your house and showing up, at least have the decency to feel ashamed.

In other words, the most courageous and heroic thing you can do is show up for your life and NOT feel ashamed.

And please don’t forget, Jewish mom, God loves you, warts and stretchmarks and struggles and all.

Anne Lamotte, Operating Instructions (New York, Fawcett Columbine, 1993) p. 100.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.com user Tricky

One comment

  1. thanks for reminding of that book – it made me belly laugh a few good times

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