There’s a memory that comes to mind every year around Mother’s Day… and it always makes me smile in a tender, reflective kind of way. It’s one of those moments that felt small at the time but has taken on deeper meaning as the years have gone by.
I was 8 years old, standing up in front of a group of women at a mother/daughter banquet—equal parts nervous and very proud of myself.
I can still picture the room, the tables decorated for the occasion, the quiet hum of conversation before I stepped up to speak. My hands were probably a little shaky, but my heart was full of excitement.
It was my first official speaking engagement… and my dad had written the poem I was about to recite. That alone made it feel special, like I was carrying something meaningful to share.
“We are little rosebuds, waiting for the day…
when we’ll bloom and blossom, in the month of May…
Mothers are like roses, lovely, soft and sweet…
Someday we’ll be like them… now, won’t that be neat?”
At the time, I thought it was just a cute poem. It felt simple and sweet, something that fit the moment and made people smile. I didn’t think much beyond that. I just wanted to remember the words and say them well.
But now… I see it differently.
Because “mothering” isn’t just something that happens when you have children.
It’s something that happens when you show up.
What Being a Mother Really Looks Like
The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized how true that is. Mothering is not limited to a title or a role—it’s expressed through the way we love, the way we care, and the way we pour into the lives of others.
It’s in the way you:
- Speak life into someone who’s discouraged, especially when they can’t seem to find encouraging words for themselves.
- Pray for someone when they don’t even know they need it, covering them in ways they may never fully realize.
- Sit with someone in their pain instead of trying to fix it, offering presence instead of pressure.
- Drop off a meal, send a text, make a call, or simply say, “I’m here,” reminding someone they are not alone.
Mothering is nurturing.
It’s noticing.
It’s loving in action.
It’s the quiet, consistent way you show up in someone else’s life, often without recognition or applause. It’s the small gestures that may seem insignificant in the moment but carry a lasting impact over time.
The Women Who Mother Us
If I’m honest, while I am incredibly grateful for the mom I have… and I truly am, in more ways than I can count… there have been many “mother figures” in my life who helped shape me into who I am today.
Women who stepped into moments, seasons, and spaces where I needed guidance, encouragement, or simply someone to believe in me.
Women who:
- Encouraged me when I doubted myself, speaking truth when my own thoughts felt shaky.
- Prayed for me in seasons I didn’t have the words, lifting me up when I didn’t even know how to ask for help.
- Showed up with their presence, not perfection, reminding me that love doesn’t require having it all together
These women didn’t always have a title attached to their role in my life. They weren’t introduced as “mom,” and they didn’t need to be. Their impact spoke for itself.
They may not have been called “Mom”…
but they carried the heart of one.
A Different Way to See Mother’s Day
So often, Mother’s Day can feel very defined—very specific. It’s centered around a particular role, a particular experience. And while that role is beautiful and worthy of celebration, it’s not the only way that nurturing, life-giving love shows up in the world.
You don’t have to be a biological mother to be a mother.
You can be:
- A safe place, where someone feels seen, heard, and accepted just as they are.
- A steady voice, offering truth and calm in moments of confusion or fear.
- A source of encouragement, lifting others up when they feel like giving up.
- A woman who reminds others who they are when they forget, gently calling out the good in them
There are women around you right now…
who need what you carry.
What You Carry Matters
It’s easy to underestimate the impact of our presence. It’s easy to think that what we offer is too small, too ordinary, or not enough to make a difference.
But the truth is, the very things you may overlook about yourself are often the exact things someone else needs.
Your words.
Your kindness.
Your presence.
Your story.
All of it matters more than you realize.
There is something powerful about a woman who chooses to show up for others—not because she has to, but because she wants to. Because she sees value in connection, in care, and in creating space for others to feel supported.
And that kind of love doesn’t go unnoticed, even if it isn’t always acknowledged right away.
A Mother’s Day Reminder
This Mother’s Day, I want to gently remind you:
You are more impactful than you realize. Even on the days when it feels like you’re just doing small, ordinary things, those moments are adding up in ways you may never fully see.
The way you love others matters deeply. Your compassion, your patience, your willingness to show up—it all leaves a mark.
And the seeds you are planting in people’s lives… they will bloom. Growth takes time, and not every seed shows immediate results, but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening.
Maybe not overnight.
Maybe not in ways you can see right now.
But they will.
Just like those little rosebuds I recited about all those years ago… growth is happening, even when it’s quiet. Even when it feels slow. Even when there are no visible signs yet.
You Are Helping Others Bloom
There is something beautiful about trusting that what you are pouring into others will take root in its own time.
You may not always see the outcome of your kindness. You may not hear about the ways your words made a difference. You may not realize how your presence helped carry someone through a difficult moment.
But that doesn’t mean it didn’t matter.
It just means the growth is happening beneath the surface.
And one day, you’ll look around and realize—
you’ve been helping others bloom all along.
You’ll see it in the confidence of someone you once encouraged. You’ll hear it in the words of someone who repeats something you once said. You’ll feel it in the relationships that have been strengthened through your care and consistency.
And in those moments, you’ll understand that mothering was never about a title.
It was always about love in action.
Happy Mother’s Day… to every woman who mothers in big ways, small ways, and quiet, unseen ways.
To the women who show up when it’s inconvenient.
To the women who listen when someone needs to be heard.
To the women who give without expecting anything in return.
You are making a difference.
You are a gift.
