I told my friend that if I take credit for anything, it’s for this: I prayed. I prayed hard, every single day, through tears and exhaustion, through silence and sobs. I prayed for my children’s hearts, their futures, their friends, their spouses, their jobs, and all the decisions I’d never be able to control. I trusted God to step in and handle the pieces I couldn’t fix — and He did.

I wasn’t the perfect mom, by anyone’s scale. I didn’t love my kids equally, just the way that they needed. And that’s so much better!