Mother’s Day 2022 is here!
One of my favorite stories of my mom is of her bringing her newborn to work. Having given birth five days before, she had bills to pay, no paid maternity leave, and a new mouth to feed. She placed me in a Jenny Lind cradle bassinet beside her desk. She bought the smallest Evenflo bottles she could find, so that she could feed me while taking business calls and typing reports.
You could say that from birth, I was learning to get things done.
That’s what mothers do — we do what needs doing because it needs to be done.
I’m lucky to have a mom who is the hardest working person I’ve ever known. Today she owns a business right here in District 13, where she serves the community through comfort food and open arms.
When I was growing up, my mom worked outside of the home, often several jobs at once. She was the primary breadwinner of our family, and that was normal to me.
Today I want to acknowledge that there is more than one way to be a stellar mother, just like there is more than one way to experience this national holiday.
Some are celebrating their mother who stayed at home throughout their childhood.
Some are celebrating coming from homes with two mothers, making this day extra special.
Some are celebrating a mother figure who stepped in to help raise or educate them.
Some are feeling a sting of grief as they remember their mother and wish she were still here to celebrate.
Some have complicated feelings toward a mother who caused pain in their life.
Some are grieving their own mothering experience, as they’re reminded of losing a child.
These are just a few of the complex experiences this day can bring up for individuals in our lives. For many of us, it’s a combination of many feelings at once. This, too, is normal.
Whatever your Mother’s Day looks like, whether it’s easily joyful and celebratory or comes with a twinge of sadness, I hope you can get what you need to be okay.
Today, as I celebrate my own mom and go further into this campaign, I’m more thankful than ever to have been raised by the hard-working love of my mother, Bridget. Even from that bassinet in her office, I was witnessing the persistence, tenacity, and grit it takes to lead by example and get the job done. It’s these qualities I will bring to the table if I’m given the privilege to serve as State Senator of District 13.
With hope and determination,
PS- Make sure to follow along with the campaign on social media!
