Today, I want to pause and extend my deepest gratitude to mothers across the world, especially my own.

Thank you.

Thank you for your daily sacrifices, the ones no one sees but everyone benefits from. Thank you for constantly pouring your love into your children, your families, your communities. Thank you for showing up, even when you’re tired, even when your own needs haven’t been met, even when no one says thank you. Your presence, your strength, your love, it holds the world together.

Though I’m not yet a mother, I recently welcomed a puppy into my life. And while it’s just a glimpse into your world, it’s opened my eyes. The constant caregiving. The mental checklist of appointments, routines, medications, and needs that never seems to end. The way you put someone else before yourself every single day. The guilt you feel when you think you didn’t show up your best. The quiet strength it takes to carry on anyway.

I see you.

But more importantly, I want you to see you, too.

Because while we honor the work you do, we also honor the woman you are. Your heart, your spirit, your being. You deserve care just as much as anyone you care for. So today, I gently remind you to care for your body, your soul, and your spirit. Nourish yourself. Rest. Reconnect. Invite God into your space, not just when you’re at the end of your rope, but consistently. Drink water. Eat foods that give you life. Do what fills you, because the world needs you whole, not running on empty.

Mothers make the world go ’round.

And to those for whom Mother’s Day brings pain, whether you’ve lost your mother, are struggling to become one, or carry a complicated relationship, I want you to know you’re seen too. Take the time and space you need. There’s no right way to feel today. I’m praying that God meets you in your grief, your longing, your healing, with comfort only He can give.

From my heart to yours: thank you, I see you, and you are so deeply loved.

The Whole Temple