Your perception may not be mine.

Opinions, perceptions, and judgments. We all have our own, but they can get us into sticky situations.

We are all taught from the time that we were born not to judge. Yet, on the other hand we are told that we have an undeniable freedom to have our own opinion and voice about everything. So, how do we not judge?

I can have an opinion about a subject and get on the internet real fast to find tons of articles supporting why I think my opinion is right. On the other hand, a person who differs in opinion from me can get on the internet and find millions of reasons why I'm wrong.

That's life. We are all different. I want to be different. If we all had the same beliefs and opinions how horrible would that be?

When you are faced with a difference in perception or opinion, try your best to not jump into being defensive. This is where you should be able to have a mature conversation. You might learn something new! Just because you believe you are fully educated on a subject doesn't mean that you are. Remember there are two sides to every story. Becoming heated before you even hear the other side could make you say something you may regret. You may seriously hurt or offend people.

Be open and give people a chance. Ultimately what you believe is best for you is what you should do. But being open can bring a different perspective. Maybe you will learn something new. Don't shut people down. Don't say hurtful things.

Remember, a statement of FACT can be proved TRUE or FALSE. A statement of OPINION is what someone believes or thinks. There may or may not be a good reason to think this way. Words that give you clues that a statement is an opinion are believe, like, and should.

Never stop learning. Keep growing as an adult. Listen, be kind. Learn to debate and be level headed. Never be like everyone else. Keep your beliefs true to your heart. Remember facts are facts. Your right may be someone else's wrong. That's okay. Don't judge others for not seeing things your way.

Am I a good mom?

Gosh, this is a tough subject, being a mom is tough. I find myself questioning myself a lot as a mother.

Let me share a little bit about myself; I am a recently divorced woman with a 7 year old boy. I am not a victim, ending the marriage was my choice. Deep in my heart I knew it was for the best. I share 50/50 custody with his father who is a good, involved father to our son. I don't consider myself a single mother. I have support from my ex, my family and his family when it comes to parenting. I am a single woman.

What makes me feel like a bad mom is the fact that for my son's entire life I have worked 2 pm to 10:30 pm. I have rarely put him to bed, I have missed out on most after school activities, I don't get to cook him dinner, we don't get to do homework together. On school days I see him in the morning for 1 hour and 15 minutes .... that's it. Summertime is a bit better. We have mornings to play and hang out together.... BUT.....When it's time for me to head out for work it's a completely different story. He BEGS me to call and tell my boss I can't work anymore. He hangs on my arms and legs or hugs me and won't let go. I can't blame him, I want more time too. I only have him Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and every other Saturday.

He has a tablet with an app that allows him to call my cell phone. Some nights he calls me crying because he misses me so much. Do you know how painful it is to hold back tears while trying my best to soothe him and make sure he knows how much he is loved over the phone? It's absolutely gut wrenching.

I'm doing what I have to do so I can provide. I want all the moms reading this who can relate to know you are not a bad mom. I am not a bad mom. I am providing for my child. I am doing my best every single day.  It doesn't matter if you are married or not. We all are trying our best.

My time has finally come! I have been blessed with the opportunity to work 8:30 am to 5 pm. I get to be a mom! I get to cook and help with homework! Telling my son that I get to work while he is at school and be home for him at night made some of the guilt go away. He is extremely excited and beyond happy and so am I.

You're a good mom. It is so hard, but it's worth it!