Superheroes are all the rage right now. Blockbuster movies, toys, TV shows, clothing – I think it’s safe to say that kids are obsessed. My own children aren’t there yet, but I’m sure it’s coming and I totally get it. I mean, it is pretty awesome that Superman can fly and Batman can catch bad guys in the dark of the night. But I think something even more amazing can happen during the night, something that makes us moms even cooler than Superman, Batman or any other superhero. We have superpowers too.
My one year old still wakes up in the middle of the night. Usually it’s right as I reach deep sleep when I hear the wailing. I walk in and she’s standing, jumping, squealing and usually smiling. Basically, she’s ready to party. But something remarkable happens. I pick her up, hold her in my arms, and within one minute, she’s sound asleep. My tired arms have magically made her drift off. If that’s not a superpower, I don’t know what is.
And there are more. We have “the look.” A sight so powerful, it can stop even the worst behaved child in his tracks and change his expression from wild to obedient. It’s pretty much the equivalent of shooting lasers from our eyes or webs from our hands. Take that Spiderman. And possibly my personal favorite, we have the ability to heal a scratch, a bump on the head and even a little broken heart with one small kiss. We can “make it all better” with this motherly act and we hardly even blink an eye.
Most superheroes have more than one power. They can fly, become invisible and have incredible strength, BUT…they can’t do it all at once. Which brings me to the most unbelievable of mom powers, multitasking. How often do you see a mom doing just one thing at a time? The answer is never! Even in our sleep we are listening for cries or footsteps and making mental notes of things to add to the grocery list. While we make dinner, we are reading a book for the fifth time and giving a baby a bottle. If there were a “Supermom” comic book, this would be a fun power to illustrate.
When you stop and think about it, moms truly are everyday superheroes. We have minivans instead of bat mobiles and yoga pants instead of capes and our trusty sidekick is a big cup of coffee (and sometimes a big glass of wine). While we don’t have x-ray vision or turn into a big green monster when we get angry (this may be debatable), we are cooler and even more powerful than any Marvel character.
As a superhero mom, I can honestly say I do not need my face on a backpack or my powers displayed on the big screen. I will continue to use my powers for good if I can just get little arms wrapped around my neck and a slobbery kiss now and then. And on those days when we feel like our powers are just not enough and we can’t face another obstacle, remember this from our fellow superhero, Superman, “You are much stronger than you think you are. Trust me.”
