“Mother’s Day”

Mother’s Day brings up a lot for me—not just flowers and cards, but deep memories, unspoken prayers, and quiet gratitude for the two women who helped shape my life in very different, but equally important ways.

I didn’t grow up in the most traditional sense. My mom wasn’t around every day to raise me, but that never meant she stopped loving me. Her love, though distant at times, was always there—like a lighthouse flickering in the fog. She tried. Life just threw some circumstances her way that none of us could fully control. And I’ve come to understand that love doesn’t always look like being present—it sometimes looks like wishing you could be.

But God knew I needed someone to guide me through the day-to-day, and that someone was my grandma—my Nani. She stepped in and gave me the structure, the warmth, and the stability I craved. She didn’t have to—but she did, wholeheartedly. She worked hard, loved fiercely, and raised me with the kind of quiet strength that I now carry in my bones. She was my home when the world felt uncertain.

So today, on Mother’s Day, I honor both of them.

To my mom—thank you for your love, even from afar. I know your heart has always had a place for me. I’ve felt it in your calls, your visits, and the way you look at me like I’m still your little boy. You’ve taught me compassion and forgiveness—because loving someone isn’t about perfection, it’s about holding space for the effort, for the moments that matter.

To my grandma—thank you for raising me when life asked more of you than it should have. You didn’t just fill the role of a mother; you redefined it. You were my protector, my provider, my everything. Your love gave me the foundation to become who I am today.

I am who I am because of both of you.

And that’s what this day is about. It’s about love that shows up in different ways. It’s about the women who carry us, whether by blood, by sacrifice, or by spirit. I wouldn’t trade my story for anything—because in it, I was loved by two mothers, each in their own way.

Happy Mother’s Day to the women who made me whole.