Love is Always Worth More

When I was three months old, the Christmas tree fell on me.

I was lying on a blanket underneath the fir, apparently fascinated by the twinkling lights and sparkling ornaments. My mother only left the room for a moment. And it was then, for whatever reason, the tree toppled. With me underneath.

As my mom rushed back into the room, she saw the fallen tree, couldn’t hear me making any noise and immediately assumed the worst.

Fortunately, I was fine. Not a scratch, not a bruise. The branches of the tree had landed perfectly on either side of me. I was just chilling amidst the boughs, unaware of what had happened. My mom always credited an angel for that one.

Obviously, I don’t remember any of that.
But as a child, I loved to listen to that story.

These are the stories that get better with time.

But in that moment? It doesn’t feel like something we’ll look back on and smile. It doesn’t feel like a family anecdote we want to keep. It feels like failure.

There are so many moments in motherhood when we feel like we fail.

When we yell.
When we make the wrong judgment call.
When we fall short of what we’d hoped to be.
When accidents happen.
When life happens.

But truthfully? I don’t remember those moments with my mom.

I don’t remember the times she felt she let me down.
The times she felt she failed to protect me.
The times when she didn’t feel like a good enough mother.

I just remember the amazing story of a mom who rushed in and scooped up a fallen tree, holding me tight in her arms in relief.

I just remember the mom who was always there when I needed her.

The mom who messed up but wasn’t afraid to apologize if she made a mistake.

The mom who loved us with all she had.
And that love, covered everything else.

So when you feel like a failure.
When you feel like you’ve messed up.
When the accidents happen.

Remember, at the end of the day, that love is all they’re going to see.

Love is always worth more.

**Originally appeared on the MommyMannegren Facebook page. Follow along for more posts like this.**