My kids were born 17 years apart. My daughter and I grew up together, my son is getting a different version of me.

• I had my first child when I was 23. I was in my 40s when I had my second. • My daughter experienced my youthful, uncertain years. My son is getting a more confident parent. • Now I know that presence matters more than perfection, and both of my children experienced that.

When my daughter was born, I was young and terrified. At 23, I was learning how to be an adult while learning how to raise a child. Motherhood felt vast and uncertain, like stepping into a life that expected everything from me before I'd even figured out who I was.

Seventeen years later, I had my second child. This time around, I'm in my 40s and older and wiser.

There's something extraordinary about becoming a mother again after nearly two decades. The world feels different, and I am different.

My daughter and I