If Mama Ain’t Happy
by Hannah Keeley
After 24 years of raising kids, I’ve learned the secret to having a happy home.
And it probably isn’t what you’re thinking.
I have found that moms take themselves way too seriously. We heap on loads of responsibility in order to make ourselves feel worthy. That leads to distraction. That leads to neglect. That leads to guilt. And before you know it, you got yourself, ONE GRUMPY MAMA!
It’s time to lighten up.
The secret to a happy home is to…
…quit taking yourself so seriously. Lighten up. Have fun. Play more. Be silly. Act ridiculous. And don’t have a care at what others think. Because here’s the big newsbreak–THEY DON’T EVEN CARE!
Most moms spend their lives with their brows furrowed, their arms crossed, their eyes cast downward, shrinking back from life. God never created you to pull away or shrink back. He created you to live large and loud and make an impact. As much as your ego would like you to think, the world is not sitting around staring at you, waiting to judge your next move, They really don’t care. They are way too wrapped up in their own lives. So quit making decisions based on how you believe others would react, and start living with gusto.
You have one go around on this planet–are you really going to focus on just making it through? Or are you going to decide to really live out your life?
When you were a child, this came easy. You laughed a lot. You played a lot. You acted silly. You threw pillows on the ground and pretended they were stepping stones across a river of hot lava. I remember one day, I tried to make it around the entire home without stepping on the floor one time. And I did it! I broke the glass in my mama’s picture frame when I lept on the skinny table in the hallway, but I did it!
Quit worrying about the picture frame and start focusing on the picture you’re creating.
Do you really want the story of your life to be, “She was born, she lived, she died?” Or do you want to squeeze every bit of juice out of this ripe, delicious life? Life is either a daring adventure, or it’s nothing.
The secret to a happy home is not organization, or planning, or scheduled family time. The secret to a happy home is to realize that every day is an adventure and there is always a reason to smile, laugh, and have fun. A family doesn’t need a vacation to enjoy themselves. They just need the freedom to do so.
Give yourself the freedom to enjoy life. God loves it when He hears you laugh. That’s what He created you for! He created you to enjoy your life! And that just comes with perspective. As a mom, it’s up to you. You are the one who sets the emotional thermostat at your home. When is the last time your kids heard you laugh so hard you had to run to the bathroom before you wet your pants? When is the last time they saw you smile from your gut, and not just from your face?
Mama, it’s time for our homes to ring with laughter. It’s time for our families to have fun again. Lighten up and laugh more. Dance around the house. Be silly and outrageous. Life truly is a party. You can sit against the wall with your arms folded, wrapped up in your problems, or you can get out on the dance floor and shake your groove thing.
It’s a choice. And the choice is yours.
Hannah Keeley was once in overwhelmed mom living in a cluttered house, deep in debt, out of shape, and barely hanging on. But one day, after finding herself sobbing uncontrollably into a pile of clean laundry, she realized God has bigger and better plans for her (just like He does for each one of His children). Beginning that day, she began making changes in her life that took her from overwhelmed to overjoyed. Today, she’s helping moms do the same. Hannah, her husband, Blair, and their seven children live in Richmond, Virginia, and are having the time of their lives!
Check out Hannah’s Website Here!
