I read something this morning, but now I can’t find it to share, so I’m going to paraphrase.
A mom was talking about how she doesn’t feel good enough. She feels like she’s a bad mom. Like she doesn’t measure up. She gets frustrated and irritable with herself first, and it affects their entire household. She eventually became so depressed that she saw a therapist. Her therapist told her that in order to change her mindset, she had to intentionally LOOK and ACKNOWLEDGE every time her children offered her unconditional love.
Instead of focusing on the times they were disobedient or unappreciative of her packing lunch or giving them a bath—instead her therapist challenged her to count the times they told her “I love you” or offered up unconditional love. Her therapist told her to write each of these times down in a book. Stop everything she was doing and write down all the times her children gave her unsolicited hugs and flowers and drawings.
All of these things are acts of unconditional love. Of admiration. Acceptance.
“You are enough, Mommy. You are enough. We love you. Thank you Mommy. I love you.”
She said she realized that her children’s love was the closest she would get to God’s unconditional love, and that learning to SEE this—to SEE what was already in front of her—cured her depression and self-criticism. She learned to appreciate her children as teachers of God instead of judging them for not behaving all the time. She learned that she was enough because of God, and that she was loved unconditionally.
I just wanted to share that this morning. I hope that it brings comfort to my mom friends who are struggling.
Remember, you are deeply and unconditionally loved.
