You don't owe an explanation to anyone.

Not to anyone.

You don't need to explain why it is you wanted kids and why you chose to have so many.

You don't need to explain why it is that three doesn't feel like too many, but that you still get ridiculously overwhelmed.

You don't need to explain why you supplemented with formula and stopped breastfeeding after only a couple of months.

You don't need to explain why your kids never cried it out at bedtime or why you still co-sleep.

You don't need to explain why it is that you send your kids to a public school, but paid out the wazoo for private preschool.

You don't need to explain why you spend an ungodly amount of money on your kid's extracurriculars, but then complain about how it monopolizes your time.

You don't need to explain why you drink $4 coffees from Starbucks, but buy and wear clothes from consignment.

You don't need to explain why you're such a free bird but are a helicopter around your kids.

You don't need to explain your marriage and why or how it works.

You don't need to explain why it is you work outside of the home, or why you feel zero guilt over the fact that you don't.

You don't need to explain why you choose to work out or why you just downed a large pizza and a plate of nachos by your darn self.

You don't need to explain why it is that sometimes your up and other times your down, or why you are routinely a bouncy ball of emotions.

You don't need to explain.

You don't owe an explanation to anyone.

Not anyone.

So stop outwardly clarifying your choices.

Stop simplifying your adventure for the comfort of others.

Stop glossing over the messiness that defines an authentic life being well-lived.

Stop listening to the commentary.

And, stop resoluting to do better when you're already doing fine.

Damn well, actually.

You see, it's extremely easy for growth-seeking individuals

-- myself entirely included --

to feel that we must be moving towards an improved version of ourselves, and if we're not

-- even just for a moment, an hour, or a day --

believe that we must be screwing up and that our embarrassingly flawed nature requires an explanation to those around us.

This is false; it doesn't, so stop voluntarily offering up reasonable excuses when you're actions are so far from needing to be justified.

We don't need others to condone who it is that we are.

We don't need others to rubber-stamp our decisions.

It is only us who needs to not only approve of the stellar human in transition that we are but accept all of who she is and endorse the heck out of her.

Explanations are intended to clear things up; but know this, mama --

nothing is more apparent than the love you have for your family, and not a single honest choice you make with them in mind ever needs defending.

And, pretty frankly, anyone that makes you feel otherwise, they should have to offer up an explanation as to why they are such a nosy, judgmental, indifferent jackalope.

Just sayin'.