Yes, I feel like Mother’s Day is a day of thankfulness, gratitude and love. A day to reflect on the beauty of a mother’s love and the appreciation of that relationship. A huge thank you and praise to God for the gift of my mother but also my role as a mother.

However today I’m talking about another approach or perspective… because it’s the part of living well and thinking of others beyond the traditional ‘my mom’ approach.

First I must say that I am fully aware that some women are struggling today who wish they could get pregnant/adopt and be a mother, or maybe their mother/child passed away, or maybe there are some rocky times in the mother relationship. And today has mixed feelings which also include sadness, grief, and loneliness. I see you. I see the hurt.

I feel like there’s the traditional Mother’s Day view (“I love you, Mom!”), and there’s another perspective on Mother’s Day that I like as well. Another lens if you will…

 

Another perspective

In addition to the traditional view of “I love you, Mom!” (because I do, I do love you Mom!), I also like to look at Mother’s Day from a broader perspective- almost the womanly mentorship perspective, if you will. This (bigger, broader) perspective is in addition to the traditional (mothers-only) perspective.

Regardless if a woman has children or if she is even my mother, I have had some amazing women who have guided me, took me under their wing, and cared and loved me like a loving mother would. And it wasn’t because my own mother wasn’t there for me or because of anything lacking by any means.

It was because they cared and showed their love.

And for that, I’m thankful. I am so thankful, to not only my own mother but also to the authentic women who have served as a loving mentor, guide, and leader for me because they cared. 

So first…

 

To my own mother-

“I love you, Mom!” (See, I had to start with the traditional) I’m thankful for you and your unwavering love even if you live much farther than I can throw a stone right now. The beauty of FaceTime allows face-to-face connection to suffice despite distance.

My mother is brave, courageous and loving. She showed me how to be independent, comfortable/loving with kids, and encouraged me to be social (which she may regret all of these things now that I live far away from her, with her grandchildren, and have such an extrovert personality- respectively in order). She also has a heart and personal relationship with Jesus that I witness still.

 

To the women who have served motherly roles to me-

Goodness, thank you. Not only my family- my mother in law and my aunts, but the women who have cared for me like family. Literally…

Women who have opened their home to me, like I am their own child, when I was in a jam and didn’t know where I would live for a few months as a young adult. I became a member of their family.

Women who served as colleagues but it wasn’t like a traditional co-worker relationship. It was like having a bunch of women who looked out for you, loved on you, and truly loved you. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. I felt loved and valued. And they forgave me when I acted like an idiot.

Women who showed me what leadership looked like with confidence (or even just taking action despite nervousness- and that’s ok). To press forward and speak up- boy, what a great lesson to learn. One awesome woman told me once that being a leader (in a situation) was less about the situation and more about showing her daughters (and me, little did she know) how to stand up and be a leader through example.

My take-away is that I now serve in a motherly role to others in my own niche. Pay it forward.

It was because they cared and showed their love.

 

And not to forget, the women who love my children- teachers, their friend’s parents, coaches, etc, even if these women do not have children themselves. That’s not the focus. These women are molding my children in loving ways and I am ever so grateful.

 

As a mother to my own children-

I realize now [that I’m a mother] that my children will never fully know or realize how much I love them. However let’s rehash last night. This went down:

Me: “Kids, tomorrow is Mother’s Day. We’ll spend the day together, ok?” (as if this is different from most days)

Kids: “Ok. But Father’s Day is coming soon too, right?!”

 

By golly, let’s just jump to June, you free-spirited little humans.

The struggle is real, folks. Ha.

 

So kids, even though I wipe every crevice of your body with minimal objections, lose hours of sleep thinking about you or calming your fears, and I turn into a fierce Mama Bear faster than my husband can mow the lawn (take that, Father’s Day)- my love has, is, and will always be more than you can imagine. That’s exactly the kind of love I believe God has for us. Everyday. Bigger than we can even imagine.

 

But I also pray for the other mamas that I do life with (and even if I don’t do life with) because- ladies, we are raising a generation and it’s goodness, it’s hard. But it’s a good, hard journey. We are raising future leaders, future companions to each other, and future mother’s (whether they have their own children of their own).

 

So Happy Mother’s Day to the loving mothers and women who love and guide in ways where they go above and beyond- because they care.