You were dishonest with me today. 

It was a small thing—nothing earth-shattering—but I asked you a question and you told me a lie.

To be honest, it hurt a bit. I know you’re little, and I know you’re learning, but of all the things I want to teach you in this life, honesty is so high on the list. 

Later, we sat on the edge of your bed and talked about it. I could see your tiny chin quivering as I asked you about your fib and told you I was disappointed. We discussed the importance of being truthful, and you nodded with downcast eyes. 

When I turned to go, you called to me. “Hey, Mama? I’m really sorry.”

The pain and regret in your voice stung my heart, and I wondered—have I ever told you the most important thing?

That no matter what mistakes you make in this life, my disappointment will never be bigger than my love for you. Not ever.

Oh, honey, you’re gonna mess up. I know this, because we all do. I’ve made more mistakes in my 29 years than I care to admit, and I know there are so many still to come.

Luckily, in this season you’re so little that your mistakes are pretty little, too.

Not listening to your daddy and me. Telling a white lie. Getting upset and hitting your sister. Saying something unkind to your brother. Breaking something you aren’t supposed to be playing with.

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But as you grow, the potential for you to screw up will grow, too. 

Cheating on a test. Not respecting someone else’s boundaries. Experimenting with scary things. Going somewhere you shouldn’t be. Worse.

There are a million mistakes out there to be made, and I know you’ll be the one to make some of them, just as I have been.

But through it all, I want you to know—I need you to feel—the endlessness of my love.

It’s true that I’m not always going to be happy about the choices you make. Sometimes, I may be downright angry about them. You will do things I’m not proud of, and you will do things that break my heart—but even in its brokenness, I will love you with all of the pieces.

I will always, always be in your corner.

That doesn’t mean I’ll fix your mistakes for you. An important part of growing up is learning how to do that for yourself, and it’s going to be on you to right your wrongs and accept the consequences that come along with them.

But if you’ll have me, I will walk beside you every step of the way. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.

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It’s not important to me that you be perfect, Little One. I don’t expect you to get it right all of the time, because Lord knows I can’t even manage to do that myself. 

But it is important to me that you know I have your back. There is nothing you could ever do—no mistake so big—that would change that. 

I’m your mommy—your truest fan—from now until forever. 

And no matter how big you mess up, my love for you will always be bigger.