For when you think you're not enough

Note to self: You are the right mother for your kids. How do I know?

Because you are their mother.

And the role of mother does not come with a job description, a checklist of rules and responsibilities to which you must conform.

It is dynamic and fluid and as you embody motherhood, the role derives its meaning from who you are. The way you are made informs the way you mother. You get to bring your whole being to bear on this task. And who you already are is enough.

So who are you?

What moves you to tears or makes you laugh, what brings you delight or stirs up anger on another's behalf? When and where do you feel most at home in your body and mind? And what truly brings you rest, not distraction or escape, but rest?

Sometimes, mothering your kids can be as simple as sharing what you love, those things that, for you, hold the weight of what it means to be human.

So what do you love?

Learning the names of trees, drinking loose leaf tea, swing dancing in the kitchen, reading, writing, and listening to stories.

Moving through life slowly enough to see textures and notice the details that bring a particular tree or flower or person into relief. Every day liturgies.

Freshly baked bread and the way gathering people around a table can turn strangers into friends and friends into family and family into friends.

Invite your kids into these things.

Then ask them, "What do you love?"