Mother’s Day 2025

Audio By Carbonatix

My mom was one of my heroes. All my life, she believed in me more than anybody else did, she prayed for me more than anybody else did, and she taught me more than anybody else did. Mom passed away in 2015, and 10 years later, Mother’s Day is still a time that highlights all that I’m missing out on by not having her around anymore. I miss having her in my life and in my kids’ and grandkids’ lives.

While I am thinking about how I and the people I care about are missing my mom’s influence in our lives, I am also thinking about all of the moms who are part of my life right now and who are making a similar impact in the lives of their kids and grandkids every day. As I’m missing my own mom, that pain is actually something that helps me to be deeply grateful for all of the impact that these moms are making right here, right now.

Whether you are like me and Mother’s Day is a bittersweet day, or it’s purely a day of celebration for you, let’s all make sure to celebrate the moms in our lives. Any parent will tell you that parenting is a thankless task, and that’s especially true when the kids are younger. Typically, kids don’t see all that their parents did for them until they grow up and move out of the house. It takes some kids even longer to realize the sacrifices that were made to invest in their lives and their development.

For all of us who are parents, getting some encouragement from the adults around us can be just the boost that we need when we are feeling discouraged or when times are tough. So, let’s give that encouragement to the moms in our lives today. I’m going to work to encourage my wife, my daughters, and my daughter-in-law today, because they’re all pouring themselves into their kids on a regular basis, and they don’t hear anybody saying, “Thanks!” nearly often enough. But today (and every other day!), we have the opportunity to celebrate all of the work that moms are doing and all of the impact that they are making.

Maybe we celebrate Mom by helping the kids make some art that communicates their love for her or by making a big meal and encouraging her to kick back and relax while we take care of the cooking and the cleanup afterwards. Or maybe we work with our adult kids to put together a photo or video collage that celebrates Mom, even when there are miles between you all.

Like I say often in these columns, the point here isn’t that you do the exact thing that I’m suggesting. The point is that you find something that communicates to the moms in your life that you love and appreciate them. And you’ll have way better ideas about how to communicate that to your mom, your wife, or your kids than I will. The key is to find the things that are meaningful to them.

Moms are constantly and continually helping all of us to win more often at home, so let’s make sure we take the time to celebrate them and thank them today!