I’m Not Perfect, But I’ve Grown

I used to think being a good mother meant having it all together.

Being strong. Having the answers. Making the right decisions. Keeping everything moving even when I was exhausted, hurting, confused, or barely holding myself together.

But somewhere along this journey, I realized something:

My Kyds don’t need a perfect mother. They need a mother willing to grow.

And baby… I have GROWN.

Not because I stopped making mistakes, but because I stopped pretending I didn’t make them.

I’ve grown in how I communicate.

I’ve grown in setting boundaries.

I’ve grown in protecting my peace without feeling guilty about it.

I’ve grown in apologizing when I’m wrong.

I’ve grown in understanding that just because something was normal in my childhood doesn’t mean I have to carry it into theirs.

And one of my biggest areas of growth has been learning when to speak, when to be still, and when to simply walk away.

There was a time when I felt like everything deserved a response. If someone misunderstood me, I wanted to explain. If someone hurt me, I wanted them to understand exactly how they made me feel. If someone questioned my heart, I felt the need to prove who I was.

Growth taught me differently.

Sometimes peace is the response.

Sometimes the boundary is the explanation.

Sometimes walking away is the closure.

And I want my Kyds to see that.

I don’t want them growing up believing that maturity means never struggling, never getting angry, never making mistakes, or always having the right answer.

I want them to see what happens after the mistake.

Did you take accountability?

Did you learn?

Did you apologize?

Did you change the behavior?

Did you heal?

Did you grow?

Because perfection can create pressure, but growth creates hope.

When our children see us growing, they learn that they are allowed to grow too.

They learn that one bad decision doesn’t define them.

They learn that healing is possible.

They learn that breaking cycles is uncomfortable, but necessary.

And they learn that becoming better is something we can choose over and over again.

I’m still a work in progress.

There are still things God is showing me about myself. There are still habits I’m unlearning, wounds I’m healing, boundaries I’m strengthening, and areas where I know I can do better.

But I can look back at the woman and mother I used to be and say with gratitude:

I’m not perfect, but I’ve grown.

And maybe that’s one of the greatest things we can give our children not an example of perfection, but an example of what it looks like to keep becoming.

Give yourself credit for that growth.

You may not be where you want to be yet, but thank God you’re not where you used to be.

Keep healing.

Keep learning.

Keep growing.

Our Kyds are watching not for perfection, but for the courage to become better.

Everything I do is 4 My Kyds.