Dear Former Me,
It’s hard to know if you’re a good parent sometimes.
Especially when you didn’t exactly have the healthiest example growing up.
You spent years trying to break cycles, heal wounds, and make sure your children never had to carry the same burdens you did.
But some days, you still wonder if you’re getting it right.
Your kids seem happy, but are they really happy?
And if you’re being honest… are you?
Somewhere along the way, you started believing that becoming a mother meant giving up your dreams.
That your hopes, your passions, and the parts of you that existed before motherhood had to be placed on a shelf.
But is that really fair?
We tell our children every day that they can become anything they want to be.
We encourage them to dream big, work hard, and never give up on themselves.
So why don’t we offer ourselves that same grace?
Why do we believe our dreams have an expiration date?
Maybe being a good mother isn’t about sacrificing every piece of yourself.
Maybe it’s about showing your children what it looks like to keep going.
To keep growing.
To keep believing.
I don’t think I’m perfect.
There are plenty of days when I feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure of myself.
But one thing I do know is this:
I love my children deeply.
And I hope one day they’re proud of me—not because I had all the answers, but because I had the courage to keep chasing my dreams while raising them.
Maybe I should ask them.
Maybe they’d tell me they’re already proud.
Love,
Evelyn