motherhood is hard.

Motherhood is hard - everyone tells you that. Everyone tells you it's the best and most terrifying thing you will do. No one give you specifics on the bad parts, they just say that it's all worth it. And it is, don't get me wrong. But the hard times can get really dark, really fast. No one tells you how much motherhood can make you hate yourself, or how you will have these terrible time where you're sure you've ruined everything. No one talks about how every slip up, every little decision will feel like life or death. Or how the parenting community as a whole is brutal and biased, and often times downright cruel.

Motherhood is hard. From the sleepless nights and the foggy-headed days of having a newborn, to the frustrated tantrums of toddlerhood - every stage brings new challenges and new internal struggles. There will be times when you will fall to your knees and pray that somebody - anybody - will just tell you what the right thing is.
I'll let you in on a little secret though.
There really is no right way to parent. There's no handbook with all the answers. There is no way to be a perfect mother - it is impossible even to try, and trying to might just kill you.

But you can find a way - your way - to be a great mother to your children. You won't always get it right. Some days you'll feel like a failure, or feel like giving up - but those days don't define you. Your mistakes, screw-ups and bad decisions don't define you. What does define you is your drive and your desire to push forward, try again (and perhaps again and again..) to do what is best for your children. It is your drive to continuously grow and change and improve. It's your dedication to your family that defines you.

You will stumble. You will screw up. You will fall. But what matters the most is standing back up, because motherhood is hard, but it is worth it all the same. <3