Mother’s Day has become one of those days that carries two emotions at once. It holds incredible gratitude… and quiet heartache.
Some years I try not to think too deeply about it, because there’s a part of my heart that still aches. When you have a child who is no longer part of your daily life, Mother’s Day feels different. The silence can be loud, and there are moments when the distance feels impossible to understand. I don’t think that ache ever completely disappears. A mother’s love doesn’t stop because life changes. It doesn’t disappear because relationships become strained or seasons become difficult. Love simply remains — patiently waiting, quietly hoping, and faithfully believing that healing is always possible.
Yet even in that heartache, I have so much to be thankful for. I am incredibly blessed to have my other four children in my life. They continue to love me, challenge me, make me laugh, and remind me that motherhood is one of life’s greatest gifts. I have beautiful grandchildren, too, who have shown me an entirely new kind of love — one that somehow expands a heart I never thought could hold any more. And I’m grateful for my partner, who encourages me every day to become a better woman, a better person, and a better mother. His support reminds me that growth never stops, no matter our age.
This year marks 34 years of motherhood. Thirty-four years. When I say those words out loud, I realize just how much life has happened within them. Motherhood has been the greatest blessing of my life, but it has also been the hardest journey I’ve ever walked.
There were seasons when I struggled emotionally, financially, mentally, and spiritually. There were days I questioned every decision I made, days I wondered if I was enough, nights I lay awake replaying conversations, worrying about my children, praying that somehow I was getting it right. The truth is, mothers rarely feel like they’re doing enough. We remember the moments we lost our patience instead of the thousands of moments we showed up with love. We remember our mistakes more vividly than our sacrifices.
But despite every obstacle, every setback, and every fear, I kept moving forward. Not because I was strong all the time — but because they needed me.
My childhood wasn’t easy, and I made a promise to myself that I would do everything I could to give my children a life that felt a little lighter than the one I experienced. I didn’t always get it right. I made mistakes. There are things I wish I could go back and change. But every decision I made came from a place of love, and from wanting them to have opportunities I never had.
Even now, with most of my children grown, they are still the first people I think about each morning and the last people I pray for each night. That’s the beautiful thing about motherhood — it doesn’t end when your children become adults. It doesn’t end when they move away, when they start families of their own, or when relationships become complicated. A mother’s heart continues to love, no matter how much distance life puts between you.
If motherhood has taught me anything, it’s that every child is wonderfully different. You don’t love one child more than another; you simply love each one in their own unique way. Each child awakens a different part of your heart. Each one teaches you something different about patience, grace, sacrifice, forgiveness, resilience, and unconditional love. Together, they shape the woman you become.
Motherhood changes you forever. It stretches your heart in ways you never imagined. It humbles you. It refines you. It breaks you open and gently rebuilds you, again and again — through every sleepless night, every difficult season, every mistake, every tear, every milestone, every goodbye, and every joyful reunion.
And somehow, through all of it, I would choose being their mother all over again. Every single time. All five of them, even the one whose voice I miss most on days like today.
So today, if you’re celebrating with your children close by, hold them a little tighter. If you’re a mother missing a child, grieving a loss, navigating distance, or praying for reconciliation, know that your love still matters. If today feels both joyful and painful, you’re not alone. Motherhood isn’t measured by perfect moments — it’s measured by a heart that never stops loving.
Happy Mother’s Day to every mother carrying both gratitude and heartache today. May you find peace in the memories, strength for the present, and hope for tomorrow.
Love never gives up. And neither does a mother’s heart.
Thank you for spending a little time with me today.
My hope is that you leave this space feeling just a little lighter, a little more hopeful, and reminded that you’re never walking this journey alone.
Until next time,
With love,
Aya Rose
Helping women create a life of peace, purpose, creativity, and intention—one small step at a time.
Awakened Living 
Leave a Reply