I have a confession to make: Halloween is just around the corner and I haven’t put up a single decoration. In fact, besides the leaves scattered across my lawn, there will be zero fall paraphernalia in my house or yard this season.
I’m not a Scrooge and I have no problems with celebrating Halloween. My kids will dress up and we’ll go trick-or-treating. I just don’t have the time or energy to put that kind of effort into decorating my home. To be candid, I don’t enjoy it. So I choose to spend my efforts elsewhere.
Throughout this holiday season, there are going to be many voices telling you all of the things you should be doing to make things memorable and magical for your children. You’ll see charming posts on Instagram of perfectly posed children with their intricately carved pumpkins. There will be pictures with Santa, sugar cookies, and pictures of full extended families, all smiling before their Thanksgiving feast. Don’t give into the lie that you are failing your children by not giving them every wonderful experience you see online.
You can be a great mom without any of that. You can be mediocre.
Too often, we view mediocrity as a negative thing. In using this term, I’m not suggesting you sit lazily on the couch and let life pass by. Mediocre, as I am defining it, is synonymous with moderation. Rather than taking on a negative connotation, this suggests avoiding extremes. It’s embracing the part of motherhood where we consciously choose which things matter to us and our family, and, even in those things, we accept that life doesn’t need to be Pinterest-worthy.
Mediocrity looks like a half-swept kitchen floor because my six-year-old is learning to sweep, and he needs to feel good about his contribution rather than watching me re-sweep every time he finishes. It’s snuggling on the couch on a Wednesday night to watch a movie — even though the kitchen is still a mess — because we all need down time in the middle of the week. It’s planning hot dogs and chicken nuggets for dinner on Friday night and letting my kids watch cartoons on a Saturday morning so I can get a few more precious minutes of sleep. It’s leaving the pile of clean clothes on the couch for two days because I haven’t had time to fold them.
Mediocrity is a little chaotic and a lot beautiful.
In these moments, I allow myself to embrace the beauty of life without needing to put on a show for anyone. It’s not Pinterest-worthy, and frankly, I would probably be embarrassed to share it with anyone. But it’s also where I get to be a better mom and person. It’s where I get to pause cleaning the kitchen because I looked at my three-year-old and felt like she needed a hug.
Fair warning: should you choose to begin this journey into mediocrity, understand that, in the eyes of Instagram and many other sources, you’re going to look like a slacker.
I won’t lie; there will be moments when you look at those picture-perfect images, or finely dressed children, and feel a twinge of mom guilt. You’ll still have times in which you’ll wonder if you should be doing more or why your lovingly prepared meal doesn’t look like what your sister-in-law made. Embracing mediocrity doesn’t mean that you will automatically stop comparing yourself to others. But I gain so much.
Striving for absolute greatness in all that we do can take a lot of joy out of our journey. I’ve found that in the depths of mediocrity is where I find greatness. I find great love as I prepare a mediocre meal each night. Through learning and mediocre practice my children become great helpers and contributors in our home.
In mediocrity, I find connection. As it turns out, once I get back to the surface conversations and really talk to other moms, many of them are also dealing with similar situations. They also struggle with keeping their houses clean. Their children also come to the table and say, “Ewww, I’m not eating that,” after taking one glance at dinner. As people learn how un-Pinterest-worthy my life is, they feel they can open up about their messes. In connection we find freedom. 
