Motherhood didn’t come wrapped in picture-perfect joy for me. It’s been messy, healing, and sometimes triggering. But every laugh, tantrum, and bedtime story teaches me not only how to mother my daughter—but also how to mother myself.

We grow up saying we won’t be like our parents. Then we become parents ourselves—and everything shifts. This post explores the moment I realized my mom was just a girl trying her best, and how I’m parenting with more empathy, awareness, and grace to do things differently.