Today is May 10, Mother’s Day. I asked Google how often Mother’s Day has fallen on this day in my lifetime. Surprisingly, only ten until today. This is the eleventh time. Seems like more.
My mother was born on this day. She passed away fourteen years ago so she only got to celebrate Mother’s Day eight times on her birthday. And the first one of those, I was her only child so that was not much call for celebration 😊. The last seven, though were special because my sister, Charlotta was born on the same day. That must have been pretty cool to share a birthday with a daughter and have it also be Mother’s Day. She only got to do that three times. Charlotta (we called her Sis) was killed in a car crash years ago this year, between the third and fourth occurrences of simultaneous MD’s and BD’s. (I know, the math is blowing your mind right now.) 😊
The point is that Mother’s Day is a complicated thing. For many, it is a day of celebration—flowers, meals shared, laughter around tables, phone calls, cards, and hugs. But for many others, it is a bag of memories and mixed emotions. Joy and sorrow often sit beside one another, and motherhood itself has always carried both.
I think about my mother often. Like many mothers, she carried more than anyone fully knew—love mixed with sacrifice, hope mixed with worry, strength hidden inside ordinary survival. I’m not sure I even fully appreciated all of that until I became a parent myself (Just before the fourth occurrence, Doris’s first. 😊 😊 Okay, I’ll stop.) Mothers know something about joy, but they also know something about grief. To love deeply is to risk sorrow deeply. Motherhood has always lived in that tension.
There is the joy of holding a newborn, and the ache of watching children struggle. The pride of seeing them grow, and the pain of letting them go. There are prayers whispered over scraped knees and broken hearts, celebrations in seasons of flourishing, and tears in moments when life feels unfair. No mother escapes the beautiful burden of loving someone more than herself.
The greatest mother, the mother of Jesus, reminds us of this holy paradox. Mary treasured the joy of holding Jesus as a baby, yet Simeon warned her, “A sword will pierce your own soul too.” Motherhood, from the beginning, has carried both wonder and wounds.
So today, props to all mothers, everywhere; mothers who celebrate, and mothers who grieve. Mothers who have buried children. Mothers estranged from children. Mothers carrying burdens no one sees. Mothers remembering babies they never got to raise. And children—grown or young—who feel the ache of missing their mothers today.
I am especially thankful for the mothers in my life right now, my wife, Doris—thank you for the quiet strength, love, wisdom, and steady faith you have poured into our family. So much of who we are is because of who you have been.
To Jennifer and Allison—thank you for the mothers you are becoming and the love, care, and grace you give to your families. Watching you love your children reminds me that the best gifts God give us should be passed on to the next generation. And my sister Chonda (not the one who died 😊). She makes mothers everywhere feel better about themselves. I am thankful for these ladies who continue to make our family stronger with their love.
And I am thankful for every mom, whoever and wherever you are today, for holding the joy and the sorrow and making us all better because you are here. Happy Mother’s Day—to those rejoicing, to those grieving, and to those doing both at the same time. (On May 10, the eleventh time this….Just kidding.)
PS I have been asked to make a more intentional connection of my various musings and Branches. The good news is that I will, hopefully, be more consistent in landing places for blogs, daily thoughts, and MondayMatters videos. You can be very helpful with this by:
1. Liking and sharing the various posts on your favorite social media platforms.
2. Following and subscribing to be notified when new stuff posts.
3. Responding whenever you can with comments, suggestions for future topics, ideas to write on, and $20 bills (🤓just kidding about that one.)
Here’s a place to start:
Go to branchesblog.com and subscribe.
Go to my YouTube channel ( @cmichaelcourtney ) and the Branches channel ( @BranchesCounseling ) and subscribe and comment.
Finally, go to my Facebook page (Mike Courtney) and the Branches Facebook page (Branches Counseling Center) and like, share, and subscribe.
Thank you, blessings on you and all you do. Mike