To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is. To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst To those who have aborted children – we remember them and you on this day To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children – we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be To those who step-parent – we walk with you on these complex paths To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren -yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you To those who placed children up for adoption — we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.