I desperately want to give my daughters the kind of childhood that they can look back on and just smile. I want to enjoy every moment with them, never complain, be kind and gentle and loving. I want to be everything a mommy should be so that one day they will be the best mommies they can be. I want their time in childhood to be perfect. I want to be perfect.

Unfortunately, I'm just not. I often catch myself using a tone that's too harsh, or reacting without thinking. Sometimes I yell to get my point across or I impatiently rush them along in the hustle of the day. And every time they cry because I've hurt their feelings, or I lose something precious in hurriedness of life, I fall in my failure. Or, so the devil would love for me to believe.

The truth is that most of us have our moments where we feel like we fail. Moments where we look back and we cringe in the shame of the moment or we cry in the tears that we caused. What I've learned is to keep learning. Every failure is simply a stepping stone to success. If I use a tone that is too harsh, I remember that my daughter's ears are priceless and every word that she hears is a God-given gift. And the way she hears is a blessing.

So, when my tone is rough, I'll repeat myself in a loving way. If I make my babies cry because of my actions or reactions, then I will apologize and ask for forgiveness. My failures can become life lessons that humbleness and forgiveness are things we must all learn to achieve.

And, I can pray. God made time, and He can make it into what He desires. So, I pray that He makes the time that my children spend in childhood glorious. I pray that He helps them to remember how much they were cherished and how much fun we had. And when they do, I pray that they are smiling from ear to amazing ear.