Mothering

I've been thinking about the power of mothering (the nurturing and raising of a child) and how it can make or break a child.

By make, I mean having a bright & positive relationship/effect on that child and they blossom into "normal" adults.
And by break, I mean leaving a dark & negative relationship/effect on that child, causing them to be traumatized, needing severe amounts of therapy to correct faults/mistakes, and becoming emotionally "troubled" adults.

(I'm probably being a little to broad, but hopefully you get the point).

They say you never really appreciate your mother until you have kids of your own.
Which is true.
But what happens when you and your mother aren't the best of friends, rarely speak to each other, or you just don't agree with the person she is?

We all have different types of relationships with our mothers, grandmothers, or those women who raised us like mothers. Some are positive. Others are negative. Some remind us of great times. Others remind of us of horrible times. The list goes on.

My point goes back to the power of mothering and whether we realize it or not, everything a mother does affects a child in a variety of ways.   

I am terrified of making mistakes as a mother and raising Andres "incorrectly." I'm even more terrified of what's to come with our second child.

Do I love him enough? Do I show him I love him enough? Does he know? Will he know?
Will I ruin him by not giving him more? Do I give him too much? Etc. Etc.

What is it to be a great mom?

I read soo many books, parenting magazines, blogs, etc on mothering and being a mom, but who's to say there's only ONE true and correct way.

I don't want to fail as a mom. I can't fail! My child(ren) are my world.

I don't want to mess up my child(ren) and leave emotional scars, any scar for that matter (like the ones that have been left on me).

But what happens if all my efforts aren't successful?