Just A Mom Trying

The news lately has felt incredibly heavy. We’ve seen so many tragic headlines this past year, and even here in our own community, the recent events have been heartbreaking. It’s the kind of news that stops you in your tracks and makes you want to hold your children a little tighter.

In the face of so much loss, it’s easy to feel a little paralyzed by fear. While these tragedies are a powerful wake-up call, it isn’t a sign to live in fear. Instead, I think it’s a reminder to be more intentional with the moments we have. They only get one childhood, and we are given this short window of time with them. I want to make sure the memories we’re building are filled with as much presence, patience, and love as possible.

So, how do we move from that feeling of helplessness to a place of action and intention? For me, it starts with a few small but important shifts in how I approach each day. I’m focusing on these three things:

• Patience Over Reaction: This is a big one for me. When my kids are having a meltdown or when the house is a mess, my gut reaction is to get overwhelmed and frustrated. But I’m trying to pause and ask myself: at the end of the day, are these battles really worth it? I want to respond with patience and love, rather than anger.
• Presence Over Perfection: I’m making a conscious effort to put my phone down and put my tasks to the side, so I can be more intentional with making those sweet moments. I want to be a part of and help create the random dance parties, the fort-building sessions, and the stories they’re so eager to tell.
• Cherish the Imperfect Moments: I know life can’t be perfect, and some days will be a mess. But even in those messy, imperfect moments, I want to find the joy. I want to remember that the fingerprints on the wall and the toys on the floor are signs of a full and vibrant life.

The world will always have its share of hard news and heartbreaking stories, and I deeply feel for every single one of them. My heart aches for every mother who is sitting there, wishing she had done something different, wishing she could hold her baby one more time. I know I can’t fix any of that for them, though I wish I could. I can only control my own actions.

So, I tell myself that this is my commitment: to choose patience over anger, to put my phone down, and to find the joy in the messy, imperfect moments. It’s my promise to be more intentional, present, and loving, every single day. Because I know one day, I am going to want these days back. The one more hug that I wish I would have given them, I’m going to give it to them today. The things that I could have done differently, I’m going to change and do those today.

What about you? What’s the one thing you can do today to give that extra hug or make that one small change?