I still mother them….

It’s made up to make kids feel guilty, make moms feel like they’re in competition, and make social media look like one giant flower-filtered highlight reel.

Honestly, it’s one of those days that can suck even in the best of times.

Most people my age don’t have their moms anymore. For mothers who have lost a child, women who couldn’t have children, moms whose children are struggling, or people who never had the kind of mother they needed, it can feel more like a day to survive than celebrate. A day of avoidance. A day of pretending you’re okay when your soul feels paper thin.

For me, we spent the day near the water. A little road trip just to pass the hours. To breathe somewhere else for a little while.

And somewhere between the seafood, the road noise, the water, the cards, the plants, the texts, the laughter, and the people who showed up for me… I was reminded of something important.

Life is really about the people we choose and the people who choose us back.

The people who make room for us.
The people who stay when it’s dark and ugly.
The people who know we’re barely holding it together and love us anyway and hold on tighter.
The people who can make us laugh right in the middle of wanting to cry.

That’s the real gift.

So today, this is for all the nurturers.

The moms.
The bonus moms.
The grandmoms.
The women raising kids they didn’t give birth to.
The aunts.
The mentors.
The friends who mother everyone around them.
The people who sit beside hurting humans and say, “you don’t have to do this alone.” because they know what it feels like.

You are rockstars.

You are planting seeds you may never get to see bloom, but trust me… the world feels them.

Don’t let life, grief, or social media dull your shine.

Motherhood is not just about who we carried in our body.

It’s about who we carry in our heart every single day.