For every mom who wonders if she’s doing enough
Mother’s Day stirs up so much.
Gratitude. Grief. Joy. Disappointment.
Sometimes all at once.
Maybe today brought pancakes and handmade cards — and a few minutes to breathe.
Or maybe it didn’t.
Maybe it was the card that never came.
The teenager who barely looked up from their phone.
The partner who didn’t quite get how much this day matters to you.
If you're feeling a tangled knot of emotions — the gratitude and the ache, the joy and the letdown — please know you're not the only one in that complicated space.
I hear this all the time — from moms who give everything, and still wonder if it’s enough.
Moms who love fiercely and carry so much.
Moms who keep the emotional pulse of the whole house — quietly, constantly.
Moms who fall asleep wondering if they’re missing something important, even when they’re giving everything they’ve got.
And when you’re raising a teenager, that feeling only intensifies.
You try to stay steady when their moods come crashing in.
You hold back when you want to fix it, control it, say something.
You lie awake at night wondering:
Did I push too hard?
Did I miss the moment they were finally ready to open up?
Will they ever really understand how fiercely they’re loved — even in the hard moments?
And even on the days when no one seems to notice —
when the laundry you folded is already on the floor,
when the dinner you made was met with complaints,
when the boundary you held this morning has already unraveled,
when you say goodnight and get nothing back —
you still show up.
So today, whether you're being celebrated or quietly washing another sink full of dishes, I want you to hear this:
You are doing more than anyone sees.
You are not failing.
And you are not alone.
The work you’re doing in your family —
the apologies you model,
the hard conversations you initiate,
the boundaries you keep coming back to,
the effort to bridge the growing gap between you and your teen —
It matters.
Even if it doesn’t look like progress today.
Even if your teenager doesn’t have the words to thank you yet.
So I’ll say them for them:
This work is sacred. It’s messy, brave, and beautiful.
And I see you.
❤️ Jeanine
P.S. If today feels heavier than you expected — or lonelier than you hoped — and you're craving a space where someone truly gets it, reach out.
This journey wasn’t meant to be walked alone.
