The Ugly Cry

   

So I'm on a 2+ hour flight going to CA.  I rented a couple movies to pass the time.  I tried to be careful - no chick flicks where someone falls in love and then the love of their life dies.  I have a strict policy that no one cries alone - even if they are acting in a movie. I didn't want to sit in an airplane full of strangers bawling the famous "ugly cry." 

I browsed through the movies available, and decide on some comedies.  I envision myself enjoying the movie and occasionally having a classic silent chuckle and this whole thing would be terribly "normal". 

You see the thing is, I have had about 4 hours of sleep and have been working really long hours for about 2 weeks before that.  I'm exhausted.  I should have picked a documentary on geometry or something.  I would have been totally safe! .... Not to mention asleep!  But my trip is for business and until I land in CA I have responsibilities I feel I need to stay awake for. On the way back I plan on snoring the whole way and don't care who may take pictures  (I mean unless me drooling down my shirt goes viral --- then I will become Liam Nieson and hunt down the person with a very specific set of skills that come natural for my mom mode.  I will hunt him down and ... Focus Heather ... This is the exhaustion talking). 

But you see, I rented Mom's Night Out.  At one point or another in my life I have been every woman represented in that movie.  The very young girl who Wants to do everything right but bad choices just keep piling up on top of one another and it is nothing less than a Giant mess.  

I have been the young mother with 3 toddlers/babies - not being able to keep up with any of them.   I actually had a friend who would put her kids to bed and stay up until midnight cleaning the toy room and sorting out the toys ..... Right down to separating the plastic fruit from the plastic vegetables in the play kitchen area.  She did this because "the kids are so much happier when they can start the day with a clean organized play room!!" 😳😳  But I was always feeling like I didn't measure up to the other Moms, or to my mom, or to what I thought my Mother-in-law wanted me to be.  Trying to be in control of everything and everyone around me. Literally, the woman who was trying to herd cats and it didn't work.  I really don't handle being the person who "doesn't work". Don't handle it well at all.  I'm better now but as a Young mom I was not so good!!! 

Then I was also the mom who had just discovered she was pregnant and was panicked about how I was going to break the news to my already overwhelmed husband.  I was so shocked on my 4th baby that when it actually crossed my mind I might be pregnant, I waited for him to get home from work (didn't say a word to him) and ran to Walmart for a pregnancy test.  Walked next door to the grocery store and went straight into the bathroom and did the pregnancy test right there in  Super H! 🙄🙄🙄. Then ten years later when having to tell him about #5 --- he almost fainted.  Had to grip the counter to keep from going down. LOL poor guy 

Finally, although I have never been a pastor's wife, I can completely identify with the mom of the teenage daughter who thinks mom can do nothing right. You never get your daughter to understand you, and try to make sure the general public doesn't see you go full-on crazy .... Come on - you know what I'm talking about!  That level you have to pull out before anyone in the house will take you seriously?!  Eyes bulging, voice raised, arms flailing and general yelling nonsense with a lot of threats "I swear to goodness if you don't do your chores RIGHT NOW!  You can erase the vocabulary word "friends" from your brain - you will have no friends - you will have no life - and you will be REAL lucky to have any hair left on your head when I get through with you!!!!!!!"  That level.  

I was feeling all of the emotions of each woman, and how much they NEEDED this night out that when things started going downhill, my stress level rose immediately.  By the time they are standing in the police station and Patricia Heaton's character  accidentally gets hit with the taser I lost it. I mean I got so tickled not only was I shaking - and crying, but tiny little uncontrollable noises kept escaping.  I was bent over trying to hide it, and then realized I may be rocking back and forth accidentally.  I snuck a peak at the young man beside me and he was clearly horrified and a little bit  - nope - a whole lot scared of me. This only magnified my cackling and I noticed he undid his seat belt - no doubt in case he had to make a quick escape from this psycho that was sitting beside him.   

I was finally able to pull it together to pay attention again.  About that time the character Bones - played by Trace Adkins shared some Godly wisdom win the main character and it made me cry in a precious- sweet way.  I sniffled and looked sideways.  Clearly this young man has not lived around many women.  He was staring at me with his mouth wide open😂😂😂. I tried to explain to him it was just a funny movie but he was having none of it and is probably out there somewhere blogging or tweeting about the psycho next to him on the plane. 

I mean I did the Ugly Cry while laughing - and no one ever looks awesome while in the middle of that!  I was also traveling alone so there was no one to blame it on! 

This was a really great movie and a much needed stress reliever!  If you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend you do! 

Blessings for today ya'll!  We need 'em every day! 

Heather