All of us mothers, no matter what background we come from, can recount the times we failed our children. All of us can be labeled as “Not-so-Perfect”, but some mothers truly have more challenges than others.

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As a Life Coach, I’ve talked with mothers from homeless shelters and treatment centers. One talked about growing up in a household with drugs and alcohol. Her story is one of abandonment and abuse. As a young girl she was left to fend for herself. She never had any parenting to show her how to be a mother herself.

Another mother told her heartbreaking story of how she and her young child witnessed a murder. The murder they witnessed was this mother’s husband; the father of her young child. How does a mother parent and support her child through that tragedy?

Another mother I’ve talked with, the mother of a 5 year-old son, talked about her time in jail.Yet, even these mothers who have for what most of us are unimaginable parenting challenges, leave us with a message of hope and resilience for all mothers.

Ok. So we’re “Not-so-Perfect”. Yet, what I’ve learned from the mothers with the most heart wrenching stories is to keep going, keep moving forward, look to the positive, celebrate with your children, tell them you love them, and give your children the gift of a mother who takes time to nurture herself.