Dear Parent,
If you’re reading this with tired eyes and a heavy heart, I want to speak directly to the part of you that wonders if you’re failing.
The part of you that thinks your grief is messing your kids up.
The part that feels like you should be stronger, more present, more patient.
The part that second-guesses the late dinners, the skipped laundry, the bedtime story you just couldn’t manage last night.
You’re doing better than you think.
I Know This Because I’ve Been There…And To be Honest…I Still Am
I’ve fed my kids dinner with tears running down my face.
I’ve gone to school functions feeling like I was wearing someone else’s smile.
I’ve nodded through bedtime routines while feeling hollow inside.
There were nights I worried they’d remember my sadness more than my love.
That my grief would cloud their childhood.
That being a solo parent meant I had to somehow overcompensate for what they lost.
But you know what I’ve learned?
Children don’t need perfect.
They need presence. They need love. They need to see you try.
Here’s What You’re Teaching Them, Just by Showing Up:
• That it’s okay to feel and still function
• That love doesn’t stop with loss
• That strength can look like softness
• That even broken hearts can build safe homes
They don’t see failure in you.
They see home.
They see the person who still makes their snack the way they like it.
Who still kisses their forehead even when your own is pounding from grief.
To the Parent Who Thinks They’re Falling Short…
Please breathe.
You’re carrying more than anyone sees.
You’re learning how to live while teaching your children to keep growing.
You’re allowed to grieve and parent at the same time.
And when you mess up, because we all do, your apology holds just as much power as your love.
You’re not too late.
You’re not too broken.
You’re not a bad parent.
You’re human. And you’re showing up.
That’s more than enough.
With love from someone walking this road beside you,
La 💙
