Just a little over two years ago, I was working what I called “Full-Time+”. Meaning, I worked way more than 40 hours a week. I had two young children. They were two and three-years-old, to be exact; so, you know, of course, I was potty training too. We were in the process of packing and selling our home and purchasing a new home in a different state. My husband was living in a different state, 6 hours away. And, I felt like I was drowning. Like I could not get my head above water, no matter what or how hard I tried. Everybody and everything needed more from me and there simply was nothing left.
I wish I’d had this book, then. That girl needed to read this message. Though, TBH, if I did have this book then, I would not have had the time to read it. It’s funny how that works out, isn’t it? The people most in need of inspiration or encouragement; they are the ones who are too busy, overwhelmed, or overworked to fill up their cup.
Lucky for us, More for Mom: Living Your Whole and Holy Life by Kristin Funston is an easy read. It’s not heavy, wordy, or intense. It’s written in a completely light, conversational tone with current (occasionally chuckle-inducing) slang sprinkled throughout. You will feel like you are sitting and having coffee with your bestie. Even if you don’t actually have time to do that.
Aside from her contagious and current humor; the main thing that sucked me into this book was her references and analogies about cheerleading and cheer camp, in particular. As a former cheerleader (3rd grade all the way through college) and having spent many years as a cheerleading coach (only stopping in order to maintain full-time+ work/mothering balance), her stories were so relatable. But, fear not, I am certain these stories would remain just as relatable to anyone who has attended any team sports camp, band camp, theatre camp, art camp… well, you get the point. Honestly, even if you’ve never done any of the above but you’ve read a self-help book or attended any sort of professional development conference, it’s going to click for you.
In my favorite chapter, Kristin tells the story of a lesson she learned while training to be a cheer camp instructor. A lesson which has taken years for her to rewire in her mind. I don’t want to give too much away, but she talks about the concept of creating “raving fans.” You do this by continually exceeding expectations. It’s not a new concept, it’s a pretty general marketing concept, but the danger comes in when we are marketing ourselves. And, even more so, when we are marketing ourselves, in a way, to our friends and family. It’s one thing for a business or a corporation to exceed your expectations. It’s another thing to expect a human being to continually exceed your expectations.
This sets an incredibly dangerous standard for young women. A standard that becomes exceedingly dangerous as that young woman transitions into wife and mother, all while continuing to work full-time+. However, it’s clear that this standard is completely ingrained in the female experience (don’t believe me? Just look at Pinterest). The idea that for a girl to get noticed, she must be doing more, giving more, outperforming, and outshining all competition begins at a young age.
In the book, Kristin shares her tips, from personal experience, on how to break this cycle of giving until there is nothing left to give, and then crumbling. She shares that there is so much more available for each of us moms. We only need to put our faith, trust, and hearts in the right place.
