How do we define success in parenting? Our worth as a person is not dependent upon our child’s accomplishments; our identity as a person is not dependent upon our “success” as a parent. We are of value not because of our achievements or those of our child; we are of value because we are God’s creatures.
Parenting is the unveiling of the wonderful mystery of God’s creation that has been entrusted to us; success becomes a matter known only to God. God notes our efforts that seem fruitless, our frustrations of not knowing what to do, our faithfulness in loving. God sees our own childhood scars, the pressures of culture, our fatigue as we age, the times we have sought support and were disappointed by family and friends and even Church.
God sees all this and continues to hold us in love. To God, we—and our child—are never failures!
—from St. Anthony Messenger‘s “When Your Child Chooses a Different Path“
by Theresa Cotter
