You are enough

It's been a few days since the controversial TIME magazine cover asked us "Are you MOM ENOUGH?" (emphasis theirs). And without getting into the debate about the cover or the article on attachment parenting, I wanted to say "YOU are enough." All of us carry enough guilt and worry without having someone else ask us if we are enough. If you're like me, you constantly feel like you are never enough...and that you don't fit into the "mold" of how the media or society portrays mothers.

And obviously the TIME article was run purposely to coincide with Mother's Day. Oh, Mother's Day. Like Valentine's Day, I have a fair amount of cynicism to accompany this day. First, we are guilted into card buying and gift giving...and not guilt because we don't love our moms...but all my mom ever really wanted was for us to get along and not fight (please say I'm not the only one that got this request...and mom, we get along now. Wish granted.) But guilt that we don't give good enough gifts or get our card in the mail at the right time (guilty...again.) Second, on the mom side of things, because of marketing we are often EXPECTING a great day, when often it ends up being just a plain old day (which is just fine with me), but leaves some disappointed due to the expectations (see the correlation with Valentine's Day??) Third, for many people Mother's Day can be a painful reminder of the loss of a loved one, a poor relationship, or the reminder that you want so badly to be a Mom but for whatever reason the crib is still empty.

So as a completely inadequate gift...here's letting you know YOU are enough.

If your world has been turned completely upside down by the addition of a new life and you are severely lacking sleep...you are enough

If you were excited for the plans you had for raising your child, only to have life step in and totally change your plans due to illness, disability, or life change...you are enough

If you worry about the food you feed your child, the activities they are in, the school they attend, the friends they keep, or 10,000,000 other things...you are enough

If you want to take the place of a child that is experiencing hurt in their own life from illness or consequences of poor choices but know all you can do is walk beside that child...you are enough

If your nest has long been empty, but you always worry about your child and the decisions they make...you are enough

If you never carried your child in your womb, but you carry that child in your heart and your home and you are just as much mom as someone who gave birth...and you are enough

If you had to say good-bye to your child here on earth, leaving empty arms way before you were ready...you are enough

If the most loving thing you did for your child was to give life and allow someone else the blessing of being part of that child's life through adoption...you are enough

If God has not blessed you with a child of your own, but you still have that ache to nurture another life...you are enough

If you realize that raising a child is a complex, imperfect, beautiful dance...you are enough