I admit that sometimes I am a hypocrite.

Along with that mea culpa is the acknowledgment that I am far from perfect…and while I strive every day to improve myself a little more, perfection is simply not the goal.

Yesterday was a perfect example of my hypocrisy: While writing for my weekly column in Tidbits magazine, I let my frustration get the better of me and yelled at my kids for interrupting me while I was attempting to work.

The ironic hypocrisy is that I was writing a column about how important it is not to attempt to work when you should be parenting, which may very well result in lost concentration, unnecessary yelling, and the resentment of everyone involved.

I was so caught up in my determination to get my task completed that I nearly failed to see the paradox…which borders on amusing.

Perhaps admitting to you now that I am an imperfect mother, full of hypocrisy makes me less of a liar, but the truth is, I am no different than you.

Before you take offense, let me re-phrase. As parents, we do the best we can- and for that we shall be commended. Every day that we are alive is a new opportunity to learn and grow, slip and fall, and get back up again.

I have good days and bad. I am capable of extreme laughter as well as misplaced crankiness. I feel guilt and shame just as often as I feel pride and joy. If there is any lesson in life that keeps presenting itself to us over and over again- it is that the world is constantly balancing itself out.

Everywhere we look there is yin and yang. I am comforted by thoughts such as these, as I hope for you to be. After all, how would we know what a good day is without having a bad day to compare it to?

Hypocrisy is not so bad. It is merely a catalyst for our sincerity. At least, that is how I am justifying my imperfection at the moment.