MOTHERS’ DAY 2026
Motherhood.
A title, a calling, a responsibility, a lifelong becoming; reason why worldwide, we are
celebrating mothers and rightly so. Yet being a mother today can feel both beautiful and
overwhelming in equal measure.
Mothers come in all forms, shaped by different stories, personalities, struggles, and
seasons of life. There is the confident mother and the self-doubting one; the prepared
mother and the one learning as she goes. There is the overwhelmed mother raising a
child battling depression, anxiety, self-harm, addiction, an eating disorder, disability, or
mental illness. There is the exhausted mother carrying silent shame and “mom guilt,”
wondering if she is failing at what matters most.
Then there is the permissive mother who struggles with setting boundaries or enforcing
rules, and the controlling mother whose fear drives her need for order. The mother who
loses her temper, yells, and later weeps in regret. The mother who appears graceful and
composed yet quietly struggles beneath the surface. The mother who believes she
alone can hold everything together, tired, anxious, overextended, and carrying burdens
no one else fully sees. There is the traveling mother balancing demanding work
schedules with the ache and guilt of being away from home. The mother battling
prenatal or postnatal depression while trying to remain emotionally available for
everyone else. The self-neglecting mother who pours endlessly into others yet forgets to
care for herself. And then there is the older mother, looking back with wisdom and
honesty, recognizing the things she would do differently if given another chance.
Motherhood today exists under immense pressure to perform, to conform, to meet
impossible standards shaped by culture, family, religion, and social expectations. Yet
despite the expectations, no mother is flawless. None arrives fully prepared. There is no
universal parenting manual, no perfect formula for raising another human being.
Still, mothers continue to show up. Day after day. Through exhaustion, uncertainty,
sacrifice, and unconditional love. And perhaps that is the quiet miracle of motherhood:
not perfection, but presence and dedication to doing what they know best.
To every mother, secure or struggling, confident or weary, thriving or barely holding on,
you are entrusted with your child’s life in this particular season and time. Your journey
may not look polished, but it is deeply human, meaningful, and grace deserving.
Because behind every strong mother is often a woman who also needs care,
reassurance, rest, and support.
So perhaps the question we must ask more often is this: Who mothers the mothers?
Motherhood Lessons

Motherhood has a way of stretching, refining, and growing you. There are things,
treasures, you will discover about yourself simply through the experience of being a
mother.
 Relax, exhale, breathe. Your child has no idea that you are figuring things out as
you go. And just when you think you have mastered it, the next child may require
something entirely different.
 Be gentle with yourself. Be gracious with yourself as a mother. You are learning
too. When you constantly neglect yourself or become harsh toward yourself, that
weight often spills onto others around you. There is a difference between self-
denial and self-neglect. Caring for yourself is not selfish; it is necessary.
 Do not walk this journey alone. Find a confidant, a prayer partner, a trusted friend
who can truly hear you and hold space for you. Pull in your spouse whenever
possible. Ask for help when you need it. Engage a cleaner, a nanny, a counselor,
a family member for support. Speak openly about your needs instead of carrying
everything silently. People cannot read your mind.
 Create moments of life together. Eat together. Dance, sing, pray, play, travel,
plan, laugh, visit people, and make memories together with your child.
Motherhood is not only about surviving responsibilities; it is also about living fully.
 Isolation and social withdrawal are often signs that connection is needed. We
heal best in community. Stay connected to spaces beyond your children. Serve,
create, contribute, and let your children witness you engaging meaningfully with
the rest of the world around you. Model a life that is whole and grounded. More is
caught than taught.
 Seek wisdom and encouragement from other mothers, especially those who
have walked similar paths. Learn from them. Pray with them. Allow yourself to be
supported. Ask for help when you need it.
 Protect your family. Love them intentionally. Model the values you hope to see in
them. Teach, guide, encourage, and trust them enough to grow. Build autonomy.
Teach independence. Sometimes love means stepping back and allowing them
to walk through difficult situations while knowing you are still present beside
them.

 Call forth your child’s gifts and strengths often- your words carry the power to
shape identity, confidence, and hope. Let your words carry honesty and
conviction: say no when you mean no, and yes when you truly mean yes.
 Teach your children faith intentionally. Teach them to pray, to seek God’s help, to
trust Him for what they need, and to believe that He walks with them through
every season of life. Each child has a unique journey and purpose. Ask God for
wisdom, discernment, and alignment with His plan for their lives. Pray that they
would grow in contentment, gratitude, wisdom, and character. Pray- Spend time
in prayer for your children. Bring their struggles, your fears, and the difficult
situations before God. Submit your worries to Him instead of carrying them
alone. There are burdens that cannot be solved by control, only surrendered in
faith.
 Remember you cannot control everything. It is impossible to know or manage
every detail of your child’s life. Do not wait until exhaustion or crisis forces you to
learn this lesson. Release the pressure to be everything and know everything.
You cannot control everything. Do not wait until you are exhausted or
overwhelmed to learn that lesson or take the necessary action. It is impossible to
know everything happening in your child’s life at all times.
 You may be capable of many things, but you cannot do everything at once.
Perfection is not the standard for motherhood. We are human beings who are
limited, growing, and imperfect. “Wonder woman” exist only in the movies. Life
unfolds in seasons, and each season carries different demands and different
grace.
 God meets you exactly where you are. The married mother, the single mother,
the homeschooling mother, the mother working outside the home, and the stay-
at-home mother. Walk faithfully in the path God has called you to in your season,
relying on His strength and not merely your own. His grace will be sufficient for
you. He does not fail, He does not abandon, and His love continually surrounds
you. Bring every struggle before Him and submit it to His care.
 Motherhood often feels like a constant balancing act- parenting, marriage, work,
ministry, school, homework, sports, responsibilities, and the daily demands of life.
Yet amidst it all, a mother should be careful not to lose sight of what matters
most: presence, connection, and relationship. Shared meals, family
conversations, and moments of togetherness are deeply valuable. Sit together.

Ask your children about their day. Listen to what they experienced, struggled
with, and enjoyed.
 Choose rest and fulfilling activity over endless toil. Do not live only to prove your
worth through constant labor and exhaustion. Live in obedience to God, for within
obedience there is peace, provision, wisdom, and protection. Allow yourself to
rest.
 Mommy guilt can be devastating. How did I miss this? Why didn’t I see the
signs? If only I had done more; or done things differently. These thoughts can
weigh heavily on a mother’s heart, especially when a child is struggling.
However, guilt and shame are not places you are meant to live in. Let go of the
burden of believing you must have all the answers or carry responsibility for
things beyond your control. Shift your perspective. You are human, learning as
you go, doing your best with the strength, wisdom, and capacity you have in each
season. Trust God with the gaps you cannot fill and the things you cannot
control.
 Resist the trap of comparison. You do not have to mother your child the way
someone else does or build your family according to another person’s standards.
Your journey is unique. Your children are unique. Be authentically yourself and
surround yourself and your children with healthy, wise, and life-giving influences.
 Know when to step back. Children need both love and space to grow through
relationships with each parent. Sons need their fathers, and fathers need room to
be fathers without constant interference, even in areas such as disciplining a
child. As much as possible, avoid alienating a parent from a child, no matter how
complicated your situation may be. Pay attention, too, to the children who are
often overlooked, the strongest one who seems to need nothing, and the quietest
one who rarely asks for attention. See them. Hear them. Reach them. Find them
emotionally.
 And when parenting becomes especially difficult; when it feels like you are
walking through fire without armor, do not lose heart. Love your child intentionally
and consistently. Let them know you are committed to their wellbeing and
healing. Take interest in their world, their passions, and their struggles. Create
safe conversations about what may be driving their behaviors rather than
responding only to the behaviors themselves. Pray for them persistently. Seek
help for them when needed. Make changes within the family where necessary.
Refuse to allow shame or fear of other people’s opinions prevent you from

supporting your child fully. A struggling child is not a reflection of your worth as a
mother. Rise above the shame and keep contending for your family. Trust that
God is also at work in your child’s life and story. He cares for each member of
your family even more deeply than you do. No struggle is beyond His reach.
 Extend grace to yourself. You are doing better than you think. Every day offers
another opportunity to learn, adjust, repair, and begin again. You will not do
everything perfectly but that does not make you a failure. Keep showing up. Keep
loving. Keep trying. Growth happens over time.

Happy Mothers’ Day!
This article is written by Lilian Kasanga, a counseling Psychologist at Mind and
Beyond Counselling Centre- Where your holistic wellbeing is Our highest priority.
Author of the Book “Pointing Children To Christ”
https://www.amazon.com/Pointing-Children-Christ-Family-Devotional-
ebook/dp/B07L5C4DZ5