Doing the Mom Thing

“The success of love is in the loving; it is not in the result of loving. Of course it is natural in love to want the best for the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we
have done”.   ~An amazing quote by Mother Teresa!! 
Much of my frustration in raising a child who has been diagnosed with RAD (reactive attachment disorder) and ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) is that it seems that no matter how much love and kindness I show, there is no appreciation and no reciprocation.  I have come to accept that she may never appreciate what I do for her and we may never have a strong loving bond. 
Mother Teresa in all of her wisdom reminds me to treat my daughter with the loving kindness that she deserves regardless of what she is able to give in return.  Duh!  Right?  It's common sense yet I struggle with it every day.  Another mom talks about attachment issues being contagious, here.  I've found this to be true.  I know HOW to love yet when my efforts are resisted and I'm pushed away time and again, I FEEL like giving up.
My new plan of action is to do this mom thing just the way God wanted me to do it and find contentment in a job well done.  As Kim Cross of the Attachment Center of Kansas says in an article she wrote, "Your success is measured by what you provide, not in the outcome."  There's a weight lifted off of my shoulders!!