It doesn’t matter how you became a mom, it only matters that you are one. 

I know from experience that being a momma can hurt, like deeply hurt. I also know that it can heal. 

Being a mom is the most beautiful gift. 

A gift that requires a substantial amount of time, sacrifice, love and most of all, courage. 
If you have had a miscarriage: you are a mom! Don’t let anyone else invalidate that. 

 You carried a precious life (It doesn’t matter for how long) and that baby will always be perfect. You may have heard a number of crazy things, but each child matters. Another child will not take the place of the one you lost. But there is hope of mothering even if you cannot physically bear a child. Or maybe you can. I want you to know that you are not a failure. I thought I was, but sometimes these things happen and there is no explanation. You could’ve done nothing to prevent it. You are simply a momma who has a perfect baby waiting for you in heaven. 

If you’ve adopted, then you are an amazing and committed momma. You know that love can be just as thick as blood and that your child is one hundred percent your child. They didn’t have to be born of you to be the little love of your life. They may have special challenges, but you’ve learned (or are still learning) to adapt and love them the way that they need it. You have given up an incredible amount of time and patience to ensure security to your adopted child. 

If you’ve fostered, then you are a mom. A mom who has chosen to open up your home and heart to a child or many who otherwise wouldn’t have one. You’ve loved them through their darkest days and you’ve given them a gift that will last a lifetime. Those babies, children, and teenagers will never forget you. No matter how long they were in your home, they will always be in your heart. Fostering is a gift. Many people will tell you how lucky a child is to have you, but what they don’t know is that you are the blessed one. Those children are extremely precious and touch the heart in a unique way. 

If you’ve birthed a child, then you know the sacrifice you physically made to bring your child into the world. You endured the pregnancy and having to use the restroom six times throughout the night. You made it through the contractions that you can’t even put into words, and you pushed (literally) through the birth. Yet, we all know that is only the beginning of the sacrifice made to raise a child. Your whole world changes when you become a momma. It isn’t about you anymore. It becomes about wanting the best for your littles, because your littles will eventually become big and have littles of their own.

If you didn’t get it already: 

It doesn’t matter how you become a mom, it only matters that you are one. 

I want you to know that you matter. 

I want you to know that you are doing better than you think you are. 

We live in a very broken world and every time we choose to love and teach a child, the world becomes a little less broken. 

I know that today some of you, (including me) are hurting because you’ve lost a child. But no matter what you face, you are not alone. If you want, I encourage you to leave a piece of your story in the comments to encourage another momma. 

I am a momma of six by various means, but only one lives with me today. 

One by birth.

Two were miscarried.

Three I fostered, but loved as my own. 

My momma heart hurts. But it is also filled with a love and a joy I would’ve never known without these six.

They hold an incredibly special place in my heart. Equally. 

I pray that you know that you are a momma who is beautiful and loved by a God who knows the desires of your heart. 

You are not a failure.

You are not forgotten.

Keep the courage. 

You are an overcomer.