The very next day my daughter came home from school upset.  She plopped down on her bed, put her head in her hands, and said, “I need some mommy therapy.”

Just the fact that my usually very private, I-can-do-everything-by-myself daughter was openly asking for my support grabbed my attention and I was immediately by her side.  She started talking and crying.  I asked her if I could give her a hug and she agreed.

And then the magic…

I simply held her as she poured her heart out.  It was a genuine moment where I got to be the nurturing mom I’ve always wanted to be.  I listened.  I soothed.  And I encouraged.  All while letting her have her feelings.  It was beautiful.  And what’s even better is that it didn’t end in a fight!

You see, in the past when we’ve tried to have these “mommy therapy” sessions I would inadvertently say the wrong thing, setting her off and we would both walk away hating each other and feeling worse than before.

But, that’s not what happened this time.  Nope.  This time we authentically connected.  I felt compassion and love for her.  I didn’t try to rush her out of her bad feelings.  Instead I just gave her space to express them.  Wow!  What a contrast from the past.  I feel like such a different mom.

It was like the moment I stopped beating myself up for not being nurturing enough, I became nurturing!  And allowing myself to be nurtured gave me the space to turn around and be nurturing.

Artwork Inspiration by KatHannah

Is there anything that you’re beating yourself up for?

Right now, in this moment, are you willing to give yourself a break?

It could be that when you stop pushing so hard against yourself, you just might find the you you’ve always wanted to be.

Last Friday was my daughter’s 18^th birthday and instead of celebrating we got into a huge argument.  It triggered all my fears of not being good enough and not being capable of raising a child.  I felt disrespected and unappreciated.  In short, I felt like a failure.

Thankfully with the support of my husband and her stepmom the next day we were able to sit down, have an open and honest – albeit difficult – conversation, and we came up with some new agreements to move forward.  It was productive and successful.  Everyone felt better, lighter and relieved to have made it through without scratching each other’s eyes out.

So after everything was wrapped up I was able to keep my plans to have a sleepover at a girlfriend’s house.  We enjoyed yummy food, authentic conversation, and great music.  It was fantastic to have a little bit of time off from the heart-wrenching happenings on the home front.

On the drive home I shared with my girlfriend how I’ve always felt like I fall short of the ideal nurturing mother.  I see other moms who can love and embrace their children with such an open heart.  I want to be that kind of mom and I consistently feel like I’m not that.  As if there is something wrong with me.

During the course of the conversation, my girlfriend asked me something like, “Has it always been this challenging with your daughter?  Or is this something new?”

I immediately began telling her how traumatic and dramatic our relationship has always been – right down to the pregnancy.  I hated being pregnant.  It was 9 months of pms-ing.  Then she was almost 2 weeks overdue and I was ginormous.  I was more than 200 pounds and my body didn’t even feel like mine anymore.  Then while giving birth – which was actually my favorite part of being pregnant – the umbilical cord was wrapped 3 times around her neck.  The doctor had to cut it off while she was still in the birth canal and the medical staff had to thump her 9 pound 9 ounce body to get the oxygen flowing.  Then we found out she had congenital hypothyroidism, which left untreated in newborns will lead to mental & physical retardation.  Then when she was about a month old I had a grand mal seizure and was hospitalized.  Within one month’s time we both had had life threatening experiences.  Yeah, I would say the trauma and drama has been intense right from the start.

But then, the coolest thing happened.  I heard God whisper in my ear, “You see how challenging this experience has been for you?  Can you give yourself a break now?”

My heart began to soften and I heard, “Can you give yourself credit for having made it through all of it?”

More softening, “Can you let yourself be good enough?”

And in that moment all the masks and barriers I had put up to hide from not feeling good enough came tumbling down.  My heart filled with compassion and I leaned into the warm, understanding and loving presence of God.  I stopped resisting the past, my daughter and myself.  I stopped judging the trauma and drama.  I simply let myself be embraced, loved and nurtured for who I am right now and everything I have ever been.

It was an amazing moment of transformation as my “not-nurturing-enough” story melted into an extraordinary experience of love.

You know, one of the things I’ve learned through the 100 Things I Fear challenge is that it’s these little, small, and seemingly insignificant fears that really make a difference in life.  I mean, think about it.  How many times a day are you letting that whisper of fear call the shots? I challenge you to pay attention and the next time you hear it, say no, and choose for yourself who and how you are going to be.

You know, on the outside it’s totally obvious that it’s okay to choose for oneself.  And yet, so often we just do what others (especially parents) expect us to do.  But, it really is okay.