I try so hard to be the gentle parent

 I try so hard to be the gentle parent.

But some days I snap.
I raise my voice.
I sigh too loud.
I hide in the bathroom just to breathe.

I’m the parent who feels the guilt before my head even hits the pillow.
The one who cries after bedtime wishing I handled it differently.

But I’m also the parent who keeps showing up.
Who hugs tighter in the morning.
Who apologizes and tries again.
Who is learning right alongside her kids.

I may not get it right every time.
But I love them enough to never stop trying.
And that counts for something.
That counts for everything.