I’m not trying to be better than her

 I’m not trying to be better than her.

Not that mom over there.
Not the ones on my feed.
Not the ones in the school pickup line.
Not the ones who make it look easy.

I’m just trying to be better than the version of me from yesterday.

That mom who lost her patience.
That mom who forgot to eat.
That mom who cried in the bathroom.
That mom who gave everything and still felt like it wasn’t enough.

That’s the only person I’m in competition with.

And even then
I’m learning to give her grace, too.
Because she did her best with what she had.
Because she showed up, even when she was breaking.
Because she loved hard, even when she felt empty.

I don’t need to be perfect.
I just need to keep growing.
And if my babies see me trying, that’s more than enough.