Am I mom enough?

The front page of Time Magazine last week pictures a mother breastfeeding her 3 year old and the title: "Are you Mom enough?"  It has bothered me since it came out, and I have tried to pretend it didn't exist.  Now I realize why it bothers me so much.  It is a question I often ask myself.  A friend called me on mother's day and left me a very nice message, saying something about me being a great mom.  Deep down inside, I cringed.  I wonder if I really am.

My parenting journey began with so many things to prove.  I dove into attachment parenting for many reasons.  I, honestly, think it is a great way to parent.  I had natural births, breastfeed.  I have home schooled, used cloth diapers, co-sleep.  I've tried to do all of those 'radical' things that prove that I have devoted myself to being a mother.  Been there done that.  It never filled that void of wondering if I am enough.  Being a mother is a very, very vulnerable thing.  It is that soft spot on our underbelly that leaves us open to being hurt.  It is the place where we tend to hurt others. 

My primary job is now working with new mothers.  I try very, very hard to give space to that vulnerability.  I once had a new mom who was exasperated and crying saying she didn't realize it would be this hard.  I said "Yes, it is very hard.  It will break you, and it is OK to let it."

It is my dream that mothers find ways to realize that EVERY SINGLE MOTHER is enough.  We are all humans trying our best to do the hardest job on the face of the earth.  It is my dream that we give each other the Grace and Compassion that we all deserve.  I hope that we quit trying to prove things and concentrate on our raising our kids the best way we know how. 

It is my prayer that I will learn all of these lessons for myself.