A Gift for Mom! 🤍

I’ve been there before. In fact, I am almost positive that we have ALL been there before.

Every single day you find yourself deeper and deeper in the trenches of motherhood, trying desperately to claw your way out, but your fingernails just keep scratching away at more and more dirt. The harder you try to dig yourself out, the further in you fall.

Your eyes are dry, with no more tears left to cry.

You feel like you’re standing in a crowded room, screaming at the top of your lungs, and no one can hear you. You’ve raised your voice to your children more than once today and when you see them look into your eyes, not understanding what they’ve done wrong, the guilt eats away at you inside.

RELATED: Dear Kids, Sorry I Yelled But I’m Just So Tired

You look around your home and you’re completely baffled at the state that it is in. You’re even more baffled at how you let it get to that state. No matter how hard you try to keep it in some state of order, within seconds, that order goes right out the window.

You feel underappreciated. You hardly ever get a thank you, if you do at all. You feel taken for granted.

You’re exhausted.

You’re run down.

You’re ready to break.

RELATED: Take That Break Before You Break, Mama

Each day is just like the day before. Motherhood has run you ragged. It has cut you to your core in every single way possible. There is no such thing as even five minutes of peace for you. Sleep is nonexistent, since you find yourself awake at night, thinking about how you could have done better for your children. You can feel the strain in your marriage growing larger, as even the small things your partner says and does drive you insane.

You know it’s not their fault, but you’re in a season of can’t.

It’s just one thing after another and you’ve gotten to a point where you have convinced yourself that you’re just never going to get over that season.

Well sister, let me tell you something—not only can you make it over that season, but you WILL.

You’re probably asking yourself how I know this, and the answer is simple. I know that you can and will because I know you are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for.

RELATED: To the Mom Carrying the Weight of the World, You’re Strong Enough

There is literally nothing that you cannot handle, even when you feel like you couldn’t possibly handle anything more thrown at you. No matter what you are doing, it is more than enough. If you still feel like you didn’t do enough, there is always tomorrow.

You are meant to be exactly where you are, even if it may not feel like it, at this moment.  

The power of a mother is nothing to be underestimated.

You are part of the glue that holds your family together. You help keep the foundation strong. The role that you play is one that was made specifically for you.

So while you may be stuck in that trench, trying desperately to claw yourself out, take comfort in the fact that you WILL claw yourself out. No matter how long it takes.

Because while you may be convinced that you’ll be stuck in this season of can’t, trust me—you can.

So God Made a Grandmother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Order Now!

Dana Moss

I am a first-time mom who has no clue where I am or what I'm doing 99.9% of the time. I am a horrendous housewife to my husband of four years and would rather have bamboo shoved under my fingernails than load the dishwasher or fold the clothes that have been sitting in the dryer for a week and a half.

I Finally Admitted I Didn’t Want To Be a SAHM Anymore

In: Motherhood
Mother and child silhouette

For most of my life, I believed becoming a stay-at-home mom wasn’t just a choice, it was the ultimate goal. The kind of life a “good” woman was meant to want. The kind of life that meant you were doing things right. I grew up surrounded by that message. In conservative spaces, in church circles, in subtle conversations about what a “real” mother looked like. Women who stayed home were praised. Women who didn’t were quietly questioned. I learned, without ever being directly told, that a mother’s highest purpose was to center her entire world around her children and her...

Keep Reading

I’m Not Really Sure How To Do This Teenager Thing

In: Motherhood, Teen
Teenager on phone

I was not prepared to be a mother of teenagers. Sure, I was warned by other parents about the difficult journey I was about to embark on, but I did not expect it to be this challenging. I remember these two sweet, innocent children who wanted to be with me all the time. Now they barely give me the time of day. How did we get here? Like many parents, we long to have that child who once, a long time ago, called us Mommy and Daddy and begged us to read them another story. Where are those kids I...

Keep Reading

Why Don’t We Talk About Jonah’s Mother?

In: Faith, Living, Motherhood
Woman standing over water

Praying for My Son Send a storm to stop him; Let his friends throw him out. May he drop to the deeps, But gently, please, Stubborn though he may be. If it could only take three days, How my mother’s heart would Rejoice in praise.  From the hell you allow him, Let him cry to you. Is not Nineveh and mercy Exactly what he knows He needs— A mercy on enemies He fears You will concede? Please let all the shade wither If his is an angry soul; Humble him and help him follow Where you would have his purpose...

Keep Reading

To the Mom Worrying She’s Not Doing Enough This Summer

In: Motherhood
Kids looking at lake in summer

It’s only the second week of summer, and, thanks to modern-day social media, I feel like I’ve already seen it all. Picture-perfect beach getaways, color-coded bucket lists, backyard neighborhood movie nights, you name it. And if I’m being honest, I’ve already caught myself wondering if I’m doing enough. More than once, at that. As a solo mom of two, I’m still adjusting to our new norm while trying desperately to delicately let go of any expectations tied to all of our past experiences…including summer vacations. I’m reminding myself that our summers won’t look like they used to. At least not...

Keep Reading

Your Worth As a Mother Is Not Defined By How You Feed Your Baby

In: Baby, Motherhood
Mother and baby stand by crib

I’m not breastfeeding my baby. I wanted to. And I was able to for the first several weeks of her life. But as the days went on, I could tell it wasn’t enough for her anymore, so we started supplementing. And sure enough, without warning, she began screaming through nursing sessions, but was satisfied with a bottle. And that’s when I knew what I needed to do. A similar situation also happened with my first. She didn’t gain her birth weight back on my milk alone, so I had no choice but to supplement right away. And before I knew...

Keep Reading

A Mother’s Love Doesn’t End When Her Kids Move Out

In: Motherhood
Family posing in Time Square

When my last sibling moved out of the house, I watched my mom struggle in a quiet, almost unspoken way. It wasn’t something dramatic or visible; it was something I could feel in her presence. For 40 years, her life had revolved around taking care of us—my siblings and me. Every season of her life had been shaped around our needs, our schedules, our milestones, and our growing up. Being a mom wasn’t just something she did. It was who she was—the structure of her days, the cadence of her thoughts, and the center of her purpose. So when the...

Keep Reading

The Hardest Part of Divorce Is Being Away from My Kids

In: Living, Marriage, Motherhood
Woman in driver's seat

I’ve written several times about how divorce has allowed me to find myself again, and how that version is even better than the one I was before I was married. All of that is still true. I am happier than I’ve ever been. More confident and sure of myself. I understand my emotions and how to handle myself when things get tough or scary. I am more grounded and calm than I’ve ever been. Truly, I have come out on top. I’ve received comments about how happy I look, how I’m “living my best life with kids only half the...

Keep Reading

I May Let Go of the Baby Things, but I’ll Hold the Memories Forever

In: Baby, Motherhood
Woman looking through closet of baby items

It’s easy to think of multiple sayings and mottos about how invaluable earthly possessions are. “It’s not what you have, but who you share it with” “Worry less about things and more about experiences” “Who cares what you have, you can’t take it with you when you go” And trust me, I know these to be true. I am not a hoarder of hotel pens or mini shampoo bottles or every receipt and coaster from my favorite restaurants. I don’t care much for name-brand shoes or designer purses, yet there are a few things I just can’t easily let go...

Keep Reading

Mom Showed Us Love that Lasts

In: Motherhood
Vintage photo of mother and three young kids

We moved a few years ago, and we had a closet that needed some reworking. In doing so, my husband found some old photos. He pulled out an album that held this vintage photo of my mom, my sisters, and me. It was probably circa 1983 when prints were made from Kodak. I actually don’t remember seeing the photo before. But I love it. In the photo, my mother’s eyes are shut with a blink because those were the days when blinks weren’t edited. It’s beautiful, and I can’t stop thinking about the captured connection. She was showing us something...

Keep Reading

This Is How I’m Raising My Sensitive Son

In: Motherhood
Little boy hugs a cat

When I was pregnant with my son, everyone warned me of what was to come. “Just you wait,” they’d say with an underlying schadenfreude, “you’ll never sleep again.” I fully expected sleep-deprived days and long, unrelenting nights, calming my son down from tantrums, trying to keep the peace with my marriage. But I got lucky—my son sleeps through the night, doesn’t throw tantrums, and my marriage is stronger than ever. I didn’t expect that, especially because I struggle with my own mental health and assumed I’d be in the weeds during my postpartum period. Now that my son is almost...

Keep Reading