It’s Halloween time! And, oh, how my kids love this holiday. It is a time for them to be as creative as possible with their costumes, have fun surprising people (who is really behind that costume?) and being scared at our town’s annual haunted house.
Though us adults get dressed up sometimes, it is mostly a kid- holiday. In some ways, more significantly, adults celebrate the concept of Halloween year-round. What do I mean by that?
How many of us live behind a mask on a daily basis, projecting a certain persona to our friends / colleagues, yet really being someone all different underneath the façade?
We have our professional masks, our family masks, our romantic masks, our friendship masks, etc. But the funny thing is that while we are the same person underneath, we become the person we think we should be in each role.
Isn’t that silly?!
We are the same person, and we are truly magnificent. I know this ‘cause God doesn’t make junk. We are all here, blessed with many gifts, to share with others, especially our children, our authentic selves.
Let me get personal, here. When I was in high school, I was convinced that in order to be accepted, I needed to fit into my school’s norm and put on my normal mask, if there is such a thing. However, it backfired because with my false pretense mask, I was so out of sync with who I really was, I ended up getting bullied and teased.
Then, I decided to move cross country, from Boston to San Francisco. In this new innovative city, I let my true colors shine and made friends easily. The problem was that I acquired a new mask! It was no longer the “trying to fit in” mask, but the “trying to be accepted” mask, and I gave myself away (time, money, energy) in order for my new friends to accept me as one of their own.
That needy mask of acceptance lasted too long, including needing acceptance from my ex-husband, who never accepted me at all!
And that was my wake up call!
It is not about wearing a mask for other’s sake, it’s all about being your authentic self! It is only in being who I truly am, that I know all is well.
As a mother, I personally see how easy it is to get lost in our child(ren), and put on the mask of the invisible mom with the beautiful kids. In other words, to put our children in front of us, as if they are our own face (mask)!
You all know what I speak of, yes? Just think of your Facebook friend who has pictures of her kids all over her page, with almost every post centered around her children. Can you think of someone like this? Or, maybe this is that you?
Of course, when there is a newborn and sleep is at a minimal, then literally, your child becomes your life. Yet, it is so crucial for us, as your child’s first teacher, to be your authentic beautiful self, so they can learn how to be their genuine unique self. It is through the sanctity of family where we can remove our false masks, and shine our true colors.
Be the real you today, and everyday.
If you want to dress up for Halloween, then put on that mask and have fun, but just for one day! 😉
Wendy Sue Noah is 46 years young, and a single mom of five children ranging in age from 6 – 14 years. She is blessed to have a home office with several clients, working in the Social Media world. Her personal slogan is “Social Media with a Conscience.” The flexibility of a home office allows her to be the supportive and loving mom she chooses to be, which includes retrieving her kids from the nurse’s office when sick, attending her children’s award ceremonies, or volunteering to speak at their school’s “Career Day.” As for cooking and cleaning, she gets by OK but prays for enough money for a nanny helper someday! Wendy can be found at: http://xeeme.com/wendysuenoah