Cheers to the ups, the downs, the babies, the bad hair and shockingly horrible fashion … For better and worse, I love you! - Paula Faris

I mean, mom guilt, it’s not just for me,” Faris said of her book’s subjects. “80-90 percent of mothers suffer from some level of mom guilt. And it’s just never feeling like we’re enough, like we’re never present enough, we’re not a good enough mom. We’re always projecting some sort of guilt upon ourselves. And so much of that is because in America motherhood isn’t really celebrated and there’s not a lot of support for being a mother.”

I learned that the Proverbs 31 woman, who we often reduce to a domestic housewife, was actually a skilled businesswoman, a negotiator, the security of her community was on her shoulders,” Faris shared. “She was a manager, she bought a field with her earnings. So often we have weaponized work as if this isn’t part of God’s plan and that’s not the case. And that’s where I think the church can do a lot better is just celebrate, look, the best families are when both the mother and the father are actively involved. We’re raising the children together. We’re co-producing.”

What kicked it off is that I had a really tough miscarriage," Paula continued. "I feel like it was in that moment that really repositioned my priority compass and our family's priority compass. I realized that my kids need me in the stands and on the sidelines, my husband and I need that time to reconnect.