Glennon Doyle says, “The miracle of grace is that you can give what you have never gotten.” It’s one of my favorites among her quotes. And every time I read it, I think That’s my mom. Because those beautiful words are telling her story.

Growing up she never got the gift of a warm mother. She never had that feeling of being loved fiercely and unconditionally. She never had that sense of security from those meant to protect her.

She never got the peace of a stable or happy home. 

She never had someone who was always in her corner, cheering her on, supporting her through the hard, celebrating her wins, and comforting her hurts.

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She never got to walk in the door, let the weight of the world roll off her shoulders, and feel like, “Now. Now I can rest, rest in this love.”

She never had the dependable and always-show-up parent who she could call for help, a listening ear, or a knowing heart.

She never had that constant nurturing presence talking her through the hard stuff, helping her understand life’s emotions, or telling her “I believe in you!”

She never felt the soft embrace that holds you close and whispers to your soul, You can trust this.

She never got . . . so much.

But still, she gave.

She gave it to me. She gave it to my sisters.

She gave us a love we’ve never questioned. 

She gave us a mom who connected straight to our hearts. 

She gave us the mother she never had.

And it was grace. Rewriting a story. Giving what was not received.

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Glennon is right. It was—it still is—the miracle of grace.

Our miracle.

And if you need it, remember, it’s yours too.

(The picture above is of my mom, still mothering me while I learned the ropes with my first babies–one of them named Grace.)

Originally published on the author’s Facebook page