Some days

 Some days I’m the gentle, patient, playful mom I always dreamed I’d be.

But some days…
I’m the mom who snaps.
The one who hides in the bathroom just to catch her breath.
The one who whispers “I’m sorry” after bedtime and cries into her pillow because she wishes she handled it better.

I carry the guilt like a second skin.
I replay the hard moments in my mind like a movie I can’t turn off.

But I’m also the mom who shows up every single day.
Who hugs a little tighter the next morning.
Who says “I love you” even when her voice shakes.
Who apologizes and means it.
Who is learning as she goes, stumbling, standing, and trying again.

I won’t always get it right.
But I will never stop trying.
Because they’re worth it.
And that trying? That love? That showing up again and again?
That counts for everything.

To every mama who’s hard on herself tonight
You’re not alone. And you are doing better than you think.