Securing her daughter’s future was all Martha ever wanted. From violin lessons, to plenty of out-of-school activities, Martha made Ellie attend each one convinced this rigorous routine was the key to her daughter’s happiness. But it wasn’t until the “Best Mother” competition one of the neighbors organized that Martha changed her perspective.
Jen, one of Martha’s neighbors presented an idea in front of the rest of the mothers. “Let’s organize a ‘Best Mother’ competition. It would be fun,” Jen suggested.
Everyone agreed coming together for the fun and friendly contest, but Martha and another mom, Loise, saw this as a change to prove who the superior mother was. Their long-standing rivalry turned the lighthearted event into a high-stakes competition.
Martha was determined to outshine Lois.
The challenges involved were cooking, home decor, and a performance by their children.
It didn’t take long before Martha threw herself into preparations. She and Ellie baked plenty of pies, making sure they present the perfect pie with a flawless crust. They mowed the lawn and tended the flowers, and Ellie practiced the new piece of music day and night.
“Ellie, there’s no room for mistakes,” Martha would remind her daughter.
When the day of the competition finally arrived, Martha won the baking challenge. Her pie was the best looking and most delicious the judges have ever tasted. Her perfect lawn brought her a point for a best exterior, but it was the children’s performance that was to determine the winner.
It was then that Martha realized Ellie was nowhere to be seen. She rushed home and saw her daughter crying on the bed. “What’s wrong, honey?” she asked her, but Ellie wiped her tears and said it was nothing. “Don’t worry mom, I’ll perform perfectly,” she said and left the room.
Martha was confused. She didn’t know why her daughter was sad on such a beautiful day when they were to proof everyone how perfect they were. But then, she found the answer written on the pages of Ellie’s diary. She knew she was invading her daughter’s privacy, but the urge of going through those pages was stronger.
“Today, I can’t fail. My mother counts on me. She wants to win the ‘Best Mother’ competition and I have to do everything right so she can be proud of me and love me. I’m scared and I pray I don’t mess anything up,” Ellie wrote in her diary that morning.
These word’s crushed Martha’s heart.
She realized she put a lot of pressure on the girl. Ellie didn’t enjoy most of the things she was forced to do, but she still did everything because she wanted her mom’s approval.
Martha rushed outside and saw her daughter trembling. She hugged her and said, “I’m sorry, Ellie. You don’t have to do anything. You are perfect the way you are and I love you no matter what.”
Ellie felt as though a heavy burden on her shoulders began to lift.
Martha then stepped forward and said she was withdrawing from the competition. Her neighbors were surprised by her decision but she didn’t care. From that moment on, she only cared about her daughter’s happiness and well-being.
One of the judges, Nigel, decided all the mothers deserved to win the first place. Everyone was glad, except for Louise who wanted to be the sole winner.
As they headed home, Martha thanked Jen for organizing the “Best Mother” competition because it taught her that being a good mom wasn’t about trophies, but about loving and supporting your children for who they are.
This experience redefined motherhood for Martha.
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