Sacrifice and servanthood are inevitable when you become a mother, but I’m sick of Mother’s Day cards that praise women for shrinking themselves so small they no longer exist.
Here is the Mother’s Day card I hope to receive from my kids someday:
Thank you for taking care of yourself so we didn’t feel responsible for you. You freed us to be kids.
Thank you for investing in friendships that were real and true. We learned, from you, what it looks like to live in community with people who love and uplift you.
Thank you for committing so much time to your work. You modeled what it means to pursue a passion and use your gifts to serve the world.
Thank you for seeing a therapist and working through your own anxiety and pain. You empowered us to live our own stories because we didn’t inherit yours.
Thank you for having hobbies and interests. You inspired us to discover what it is we love and enjoy.
Thank you for insisting we wait to start eating until you were at the table. You instilled in us how to respect and honor those who serve us.
Thank you for learning to love your body. We learned, by watching you, that our bodies are holy and wonderful and capable of miracles.
Thank you for being your biggest, fullest self. You taught us to be unafraid of using our voices and taking up space.
Thank you for loving us imperfectly. You taught us to seek forgiveness and receive grace.
Thank you for trusting yourself as a mother. You taught us to ignore the opinions that don’t matter and listen to the voice within.
Happy Mother’s Day!
