I find myself nodding in empathy as she describes how she let angry words spew from her mouth. She had said hurtful things to her kids that she now regretted. I knew exactly what she meant. “I’ve been there too. Don’t worry,” I said, relating couple of my own mommy meltdowns. We commiserated about how impossibly difficult parenting is, and then moved on to other topics.

I had done what I’m wired to do: Make another mom feel like she hadn’t failed by relating a litany of my own mistakes. I had succeeded in keeping it real and being authentic, but I hadn’t really succeeded in helping her or myself in our journey toward what God has called us to: holiness.

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