First Mother’s Day Without My Mom: Faith, Grief, and Gratitude

This Mother’s Day feels different. Heavier. Holier. A little quieter. A little more tender. It’s the first Mother’s Day without my mom, and the absence is profoundly felt.

She passed away just four days after Mother’s Day last year. Her absence still feels surreal. I find myself reaching for the phone to tell her something or scrolling through old texts just to see her words again. Grief, I’ve learned, doesn’t come in clean stages—it comes in waves, unexpected and overwhelming.

And yet, even in the middle of this loss, I feel a quiet call to celebrate.

Because I am a mother, too.

I will spend this day holding my children close, laughing with them, remembering their little fingers curled around mine when they were tiny, and thanking God for the privilege of being their mom. There’s joy in that. There’s purpose in that. And there’s healing, too.

Honoring Our Mothers

Scripture calls us to honor our fathers and mothers (Exodus 20:12), not just in life but also in how we carry their legacy forward. Honoring my mom now looks different. It looks like making her famous macaroni salad for my kids. And remembering to pray first when things feel uncertain. It looks like continuing the traditions she passed down and living the faith she helped plant in my heart.

Mothers shape us—through their words, their sacrifices, their prayers whispered over us late at night. God sees that. Proverbs 31:28 says, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” I rise up today to bless her name, even through tears.

Mothers in the Bible: Faith in Action

The Bible is filled with stories of mothers whose courage and faith changed history.

• Hannah, who prayed so fervently for a child that she promised him back to God—and kept that promise (1 Samuel 1).
• Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who defied Pharaoh and hid her baby in a basket to save his life (Exodus 2).
• Naomi and Ruth, who show us that motherhood and loyalty can transcend bloodlines (Ruth 1:16-17).
• And of course, Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Mary is the mother I find myself thinking about most this year.

Mary: A Mother Like No Other

I’ve always wondered what it must have been like for Mary to raise Jesus. She carried Him in her womb, gave birth in a humble stable, and rocked the Son of God to sleep under the stars. He was her baby—and yet, He was God.

Did she know what that would mean? Did she understand what He would endure?

Luke tells us Mary “pondered these things in her heart” (Luke 2:19). I imagine she watched Him grow with awe and fear, knowing His life would be unlike any other. She must have heard the whispers, seen the tension rise around Him. And yet, she kept believing.

As a mom to two sons, I cannot begin to fathom the agony of watching one suffer—let alone watching him go to the cross. The restraint it must have taken not to intervene, the grief that must have torn through her soul… I would have been a wreck. A loud, messy, crying, angry wreck. But Mary trusted God’s plan.

Her faith wasn’t passive. It was fierce. Raw. Willing.

Grief and Grace: Holding Both

That’s what I’m learning this Mother’s Day: you can hold grief and grace in the same hands. You can feel sorrow for who is gone and gratitude for who is still here. It’s okay to miss your mom and still smile at your own children. You can cry and still celebrate.

Because we are people of resurrection.

As believers, we know that death is not the end. My mom is with Jesus now. I believe that with all my heart. And while I miss her deeply, I have hope. As 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 reminds us, we do not grieve like those who have no hope. We grieve with hope.

Seeking God in Every Step

Here at Living Faith Fearlessly, our journey is about seeing God’s presence in every step—through joy and sorrow, through parenting and loss, through laughter and tears. This Mother’s Day, I invite you to do the same.

If you’re mourning a mother, know that God sees your tears (Psalm 56:8). Maybe you’re struggling as a mother, know that He gives strength to the weary (Isaiah 40:29). If you feel joy today, let that joy point you back to the Giver of all good things.

Motherhood is one of God’s most profound callings. It’s not easy. It’s messy and holy and heart-wrenching. But it is worth every tear, every sleepless night, every sacrifice.

To all the mothers, grandmothers, spiritual mothers, and those who long to be mothers—you are seen. You are loved. You are part of a divine story.

And to my own sweet mom—thank you for loving me, for teaching me to pray, for showing me how to walk with God. I miss you. I love you. Happy Mother’s Day in heaven.

Bible Verses for Reflection:

• Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother…”
• Luke 2:19 – “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
• Proverbs 31:28 – “Her children rise up and call her blessed…”
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 – “…we do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”
• Isaiah 40:29 – “He gives strength to the weary…”

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