I wrote this love letter to my kids because I am forever messing up. I’m forever adding #badmom to the texts to friends asking for the week’s spelling words or to pick my kids up from garden club because I’m still 12 minutes away. I do all of this AND my kids make my heart feel full to overflowing with love.
On Valentine’s Day this year, I thought I’d write them a love letter. Maybe they can read it later, when they are in their teens and feeling insecure because the cool kids don’t like them. Maybe they can read it when their in their 20’s and they feel unanchored in this world. Maybe they can read it in their 40’s at a time when life is melancholy and they feel overwhelmed with it.
Maybe this is a love letter to myself too. Maybe you get this. I hope you can read it and know that you…me…all of us…are perfectly imperfect too.
A Love Letter from Mom
Dear kids,
I hope you remember me as the mom who tried to make you heart shaped blueberry muffins for Valentine’s Day. I hope you grow up and think back to the times when I waited on the front stoop for you to come home from school and all the times when I waved with my whole arm when you got on the bus each morning. I hope you remember all the times my smile lit up like Christmas morning when you came into the room.
But I’m so imperfect.
I make mistakes as a mom. So. Many. Mistakes. I get things wrong everyday. I yell too much. I hurry and rush you to catch the school bus before you finish your breakfast. I tell you to shush, to be quiet, to simmer down, to chill out, to Shut. Your. Mouth. I sometimes show up at the wrong time, or the wrong day, for your awards ceremony. One day last week you were the last person to be picked up in carpool. And had to wait outside. In the rain. I haven’t even signed up for a mystery reader slot for anyone this year. I’m sorry guys.
Know that I try.
Please remember the times I tried to be a good mom. Remember that I tried to get to your awards and when I missed it you saw me cry. I was more heartbroken than you. Remember that I added chocolate chips to the lopsided muffins I tried to make because that’s how you really, really like them. Please think about the times when you saw me burning rubber to try to be on time to pick you up from jogging club. I always, always tried to make sure you knew you were loved.
When you look back on your childhood, I hope you get that warm, cozy feeling that makes you feel certain you were loved, that you are loved. I hope you remember what’s in my heart. And it is all love. All for you. All the time. Even when I’m making mistakes. I hope you remember joy and that I did my best to fill your life with it as best as I could.
Kids, you have a perfectly imperfect mom who loves you so very, very much.
Love, Mom
It’s OK to be perfectly imperfect.
In this love letter, I’m telling myself it’s OK to be imperfect just like I’m telling my kids the same thing. And I’m telling you too. We’re all just doing our best. We’re trying. We really are. And I think that’s going to be enough.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Join us over at the I’m OK group. (Imperfect Moms Only Klub). We’re in this together.
