An Open Letter to My Kids (Who Will Someday Google Me)
Dear Lyrica & Conann,
Yes, it’s me. Your mom. If you’ve stumbled here years from now, searching my name on the internet, let me start by saying: I’m both flattered and slightly terrified. Because somewhere between baby bottles, bedtime stories, and endless diaper rotations, I decided to create this little corner of the web. Not for clout. Not for likes. But for you.
When I wrote these letters, you were still little. My days were a constant mix of feedings, diaper changes, virtual school check-ins, laundry that multiplied overnight, and trying to figure out dinner while sneaking in a few emails or a breath of silence. I was tired. Often running on reheated coffee and small victories. And yes, sometimes I felt like I was failing at everything. Yet, even in the chaos, I kept showing up here to write.
Why? Because I wanted you to see me not just as “Mom,” but as a whole person. A woman who dreamed, stumbled, laughed, cried, tried again, and kept writing her story in the cracks of everyday life. A woman who loved you so fiercely she wanted to leave a trace of herself—thoughts, lessons, stories—so that even years from now, you could find me in words long after the toys were packed away, the laundry was folded (mostly), and the house grew quiet.
I want you to know that every messy, imperfect moment mattered. Every spilled bottle, late-night panic, every “how do I even do this?” moment was filled with love. And I hope that when you read my silly confessions or embarrassing overshares, you laugh. Maybe you even learn something about resilience, patience, or chasing your own dreams, however messy the path might be.
Life isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up. It’s about creating, trying, falling, and trying again. And it’s about leaving behind breadcrumbs so your future selves know you were here, and you were loved, always.
So if nothing else, let this be proof that your mama was proud—every day, every moment, in ways big and small—to be yours. And that even when life was a whirlwind, I never stopped dreaming, writing, and showing up for you.
Signed,
Jalyn (mom)
