by Seneca Moraleda-Puguan
One of the most life-changing events of my life, aside from becoming a wife, was when I became a mother.
From pregnancy to delivery, I have endured pain and sleepless nights without complaining because I knew that the joy of carrying a baby far outweighs the hardships.
I imagined the kind of mother I will become. I’ll never raise my voice or lose my patience, my child will only eat healthy food, and I will do it all right.
Now that I have two children and the days are getting longer, I have gained a deeper understanding that motherhood is never about me and my plans but about loving the children entrusted to me. The kind of mother I thought I would become has just become an imagination.
Reality is motherhood sucks me dry on a regular–of my energy, my freedom, of my time. But I am grateful–forever grateful because motherhood is such an amazing gift, a wonderful calling.
Every mother is special. But there are extraordinary mothers in the world I would like to take time in honoring and remembering at this time. They are supermoms. They have been blessed with an extra ounce of grace, patience, and deep love for the children they have been called to nurture.
Single moms. Oh, God bless you, single moms. I have my husband who works alongside me in raising our children, but it doesn’t make motherhood and parenting much easier. I can only imagine the weight on your shoulders, the length of your days and the depth of your endurance as you raise your child/ren by yourself each passing day.
You may feel alone but know that you are not forsaken. Your Heavenly Father, the Lover of your soul is with you and His grace is sufficient for you. In your weakness, He is your strength. May He surround you with people who will support you, help you and encourage you as you take on the role of being a mother and a father to your children.
Thank you for hanging on. For your children, you are irreplaceable.
Adoptive moms. “If there’s a cause worth fighting for, it’s this: children belong in families” (Nicole Skellenger) It takes great love to nurture someone who came out of your womb, but it takes greater love to care for a stranger and call it your own.
When our children are older, my husband and I are planning to adopt children because we believe that it is the visible expression or manifestation of the gospel.
We were once enemies of God because of our sin but because of what Jesus Christ has done, we have been adopted and called as children of God. To all moms out there who have chosen to foster children not their own, you are amazing.
Just as a quote from an unknown author says, “The world may not change if you adopt a child, but for that child their world will change.”
You have changed a life and in turn, you have changed the world. Thank you for your selflessness, generosity, compassion and great love. Your child may not have chosen you, but you are irreplaceable.
Moms of special child/ren. To moms who are raising children with special needs–mentally, physically, emotionally, psychologically–hats off to you.
You are indeed a superwoman. The depth of your patience and love for your child who depends on you in everything, and every way is beyond comprehension.
Raising an ordinary child is already exhausting, I believe for you it’s twice as much. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for every day choosing to fight for your child.
Thank you for choosing to love and loving hard. In their lives, you are irreplaceable.
Stepmoms. Fairytales and movies depict stepmoms as wicked and antagonistic. But in reality, this is not true.
I believe that women who take on the role of being a mother to children who are not their own are special and worth honoring. I know of many women who are stepmoms to their children, and they are doing an amazing job.
To stepmoms who feel misjudged and looked down upon, may you see yourself the way God sees you. He has a special calling for your life.
Thank you for selflessly loving the children entrusted to you. You may have replaced their mom for some reason, but in God’s eyes, you are irreplaceable. “Motherhood is a calling not just for women who have biological or adopted children. Mothering is a calling for all women. Our nurturing is, by nature, missional.” – Gloria Furman from her book, Missional Motherhood. Mothers extend God’s love to His people.
To all the women who mothered and are mothering through their wombs or through their hearts, we honor and celebrate you. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU. You are unique and irreplaceable.May this excerpt from the devotional I’ve read called “So God Made a Mother” by Leslie Means encourage you:
“Motherhood – busy, exhausting, unpredictable motherhood- is so much more than we could have ever planned. This calling is yours and it’s extraordinarily beautiful. God made a mother and you are His masterpiece. When God made a mother, He had you in mind- imperfect, incredible, irreplaceable you.”
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