Momshell Madness

Written by Jen Wednesday, 25 March 2009 02:35

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Looking good behind the wheel was not tops on my list this morning. This weekend I finally succumbed to the virus that spread through my family earlier this month. Two days with a fever has left me tired and pale. As I glanced in the mirror, I actually considered making the short trip to my daughter's school in my bathrobe.

Vanity finally got the best of me, though, and for the drive I wore my very fashionable nerd glasses and my best frumpy outfit hastily chosen, hoping nothing would force me out of the car for any reason whatsoever.

But lo! What should await me upon my return home but a strange article in the paper about "Momshells," a subset of humanity best defined as those gorgeous mommies who would never be caught looking anything but, well, absolutely together. (My good friend refers to these women who look great even when price checking motor oil as "the pretty moms with the hair and the nails.") I was appropriately chastened. Hey moms, we can do it all! We can be beautiful inside and out!

Am I the only one wondering "Whaa?" Yeah, we all need a little more stress in our lives. After I'm done writing this, I will be off to solve global warming, have my nails done at the salon, volunteer at the food pantry and fix the lawnmower. All before supper.

As I scoffed at the ridiculousness of the Momshell concept--particularly after I saw the list of celebrity moms that apparently fit the definition--I nearly choked on my Raisin Bran when I realized that perhaps I have been feeding this aberrant image of motherhood. No, I am not a Momshell. (A Momshell would never show up to host a seminar wearing two completely different shoes.) But I have always believed that being a mother doesn't mean we must dissolve into the sweatshirt and mommy-bob abyss.

But wait! This simply means that we moms should take care of ourselves, maintain a healthy diet and get some exercise. "Don't let yourself go" is sage advice. We have others to care for, and we can't do that well if we're not well. This is a far cry from aspiring to what amounts to a societal stereotype of perfection. We should have more important issues on our agenda. After all, we're real people, not empty shells masquerading as mothers.