Today, the world is wrapped in roses, cards, brunches, and balloons. It’s Mother’s Day, the official reminder to say thank you. But somewhere between the store-bought sentiments and the smiles for the camera, there are details we often forget. So today, let’s remember.
Let’s remember the mother who waited. Waited nine months through nausea and fear, hope and discomfort. Waited in the car during piano lessons, doctor’s appointments, and late-night youth group pick-ups. Waited silently for her turn, which rarely came.
Let’s remember the mother who translated cries into needs before we had words. Who knew the difference between a whimper of hunger and the wail of exhaustion. She spoke the language of tiny humans long before they ever said “Mama.”
Let’s remember the meals she didn’t eat hot. The showers she skipped. The outfits with mysterious stains. The sleep she surrendered not just when we were babies, but during our breakups, our rebellions, our midnight calls from college.
Let’s remember the quiet sacrifices:
• The scarf she didn’t buy so she could afford your school trip.
• The job she left because you needed more of her at home.
• The dreams she pressed pause on—not forever, just until you were okay.
Let’s remember the emotional load she carried silently. The calendars, the doctor’s numbers, the allergy reminders, the birthday gifts bought weeks in advance. The way she held everyone’s needs in her mind like a living spreadsheet without a thank-you or a paycheck.
Let’s remember the strength behind her softness. The way she was our safe space even when she was crumbling inside. The smile she wore when she dropped us off at school, only to sit in the car and cry. The courage it took to let us go—again and again and again.
And not all mothers are biological. Today, let’s also honor the aunties, grandmothers, stepmoms, foster moms, and spiritual mothers. The women who mothered without obligation, loved without limit, and stood in the gap when someone needed a place to land.
DDT
To every mother reading this: we see you. Not just the you on the stage with flowers in your hand, but the you who labored in love behind closed doors. The you who didn’t quit when it was hard. The you who chose love, every day, in a thousand silent ways.
This Mother’s Day, we remember you.
The unseen. The everyday. The unforgettable.
Happy Mother’s Day.
