A Mothers Day Love Letter

Love Letter from a Daughter, a Mother, and a Yaya

—on this Mother’s Day—

Today, I offer a love letter—not only from one role but from many: the daughter I was, the mother I still am, the Yaya I have become.

First, with bowed head and open heart, I give my deepest thanks to Gaia, to our Great Mother Earth. She who offers the breath of the pines, the song of the rivers, the endless turning of seasons, and the miracle of life in all its forms. I honor Her, who mothered us all before we had names or stories.

I offer gratitude to the ancestors—the ancient ones who walked this path before me. To all of those who bore children, and to those who never did but shaped the world with their prayers, their dreams, their songs, their courage. Whether or not your blood runs in my veins, your spirit is part of me. You stood for life, and I thank you.

To my biological Mother—thank you for life, for the vessel of my becoming. And to my adoptive Mother, who chose me and took on the sacred task of nurturing a soul not born from her body but from her heart—I honor your love, your commitment, your fierce vision that made a place for me in this world.

I also give thanks for the women who mothered me without title or expectation. To the aunties, teachers, mentors, neighbors, and elders who saw me when I was still growing into myself—your presence shaped me. Your words, your listening, your steady hands at my back—I carry them all.

To my Sons and my Grandson: I have loved you with a heart that stretched and re-formed itself around each of your growing stages. I haven’t always gotten it right. I still stumble. But know this—I have always tried to lead with love and with a vision of your full becoming. You are my greatest gifts, my mirrors, my teachers.

To the children not born of my body, but entrusted to me through love and life’s strange and beautiful weaving—you too are etched into my spirit. I think of you often. Your place around my fire is forever.

And so today, as a daughter, a mother, and a grandmother, I make this vow:

To lead with an open heart.

To soften where I might harden.

To remain teachable.

To offer warmth and wisdom where I can.

To live in the sacred rhythm of giving and receiving love.

From womb to root, from seed to elderfire—on this day and every day,

I remember:

To mother is to tend.

To witness.

To believe in the becoming.

And above all, to love.