How is being a mom like being Catholic?

I posted that question on Facebook to see what kind of answers I would get. The question occurred to me as I realized that I was, once again, feeling guilty for something or other. I don't even remember what it was now, but I realized being a mom seems to carry with it a constant sense of guilt. You can never do right enough by your kid, and if you dare try to read about what you should be doing... well, you might as well turn your bathroom into your own private confessional. Every time he cries, it's like a new chance to solve the riddle of the Sphinx. Sometimes it takes a minute or two. Sometimes you never find out what's wrong, and the helplessness is as bad as the guilt that you can't take away whatever the problem is.

I thought about trying to list all the things I've felt guilty about in the past four weeks - everything from not playing with him enough to stimulate his brain growth (honestly, how do you play with a newborn who's not even aware that those flailing limbs belong to him?) to something as simple as needing to put him down (begin wailing soundtrack) so I can use the bathroom. But the post would be long and boring, so I decided instead to list the creative answers I got on Facebook. I still think a constant sense of guilt is the strongest link between motherhood and the Catholic experience, but I was pretty impressed with the answers received by friends below.

It's all about the guilt! - Meggan Vasta

Both are exhausting! - Jennifer Cattes

You're constantly standing, sitting and kneeling to adore a baby. - Carolina Jimenez (this was one of my favorites)

The constant up and down along with the prayers for patience, held and SLEEP! - Kellie Lou Myers

The both require an abundance of imagination. - Jake Hyden

You're constantly looking for answers. - Eduardo Huerta

You are caring for the needy, you are suffering for the greater good, every day is All Saints Day or a day of obligation, you have a good sense of humor, you are the mother of God. - Robert Strachan (another of my faves)

Master of the art of getting things done through guilt trips. - Sam Shrivatsa

Every now and then the experience "stinks." - Eduardo Huerta

And then there's James Ewing's answer, which is really more about how to cope: It's all about drinking wine in the name of God.