“I am the best mom in the world,” asserts guest blogger Valeria Conshafter. In today’s post she explains why she’s the best mom in the world for her daughter who was born with a life-threatening birth condition. As Mother’s Day approaches, Valeria wants you to repeat after her, “I am the best mom in the world,” too.

I’ve been called crazy.
I’ve been called weird.
I’ve been called over the top.
I’ve been called overly committed.
I’ve been called paranoid. Strict. Obsessed.
Occasionally, I have even been called amazing, but not in a praiseworthy way.

Being a mom who makes her daughter’s health and nutrition a priority is not as beautiful as it sounds.

You pay a price for everything you do as a mom.
If you are too relaxed, you are a slacker of a parent.
If you are too strict, you’re a control freak.
If you are in between, you need to make up your mind already.

Enough is enough, y’all.

Parenting is hard. Period.

Parenting a special needs child is hard. No question!

I don’t care if you have one or five children.
I don’t care if they are healthy or not.

Parenting is a pretty tough job.

It comes with lots of rewards and joys, of course.
It may be the best job you will ever have.
All differences aside, we all know parenting is simply hard.

However, in taking on your task as the parent of your child, I believe you are doing the best you can.

I am doing the best I can.

To be quite honest, I think I am doing a pretty good job. It’s a job I love and am proud of, as a matter of fact. On top of that, I am pretty busy with this mom job, whether I am cooking, cleaning, playing with her, researching nutrition, or taking a nap.

I have learned the hard way that whatever I do or how I run my mom business, it is up to me, and it is okay. I am busy being a mom and have no time to pay attention to the names I’m being called. Not anymore!

What others think is not up to me. In fact, it has nothing to do with me!

Here is what does matter:

• When I get the best doctors’ report ever about how much healthier my child is and her specialist decreases her medication intake and supplements.
• When I realize a full year has gone by without major sickness or hospital stays. Praise God!
• When I compare notes from this year’s journal to past ones where all I wrote about was sorrow and fear.

Then I see how all the work I am doing at my mom job matters. I tell myself, “Good job, Valeria!”

There is nothing better than that!

I’ve lost friends.
I’ve made new great ones.
I’ve been criticized.
I’ve been left out. Uninvited. Excluded. Not mentioned. Looked down upon.
I’ve been labeled, judged, tagged.
I’ve been called so many things that could have destroyed my efforts to being a good mom.

But they didn’t.

Why? Because I understand that I have received the biggest call ever!
I’ve been called by God by my own name, to be my special daughter’s mother.
He trusted me to care for her and nurture her.

Me!

In His eyes, I am the best mom in the world for her.

It hasn’t been easy.
It has not been always great.
But that’s what I was called to do.
For that reason I will continue to do the best job I can.
You will too.

Call yourself whatever you want, but I hope you call yourself the best mom in the world.

She is clothed in strength & dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
Proverbs 31:25

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