Sunday is Mother’s Day, and since we all have one – in some form or another – it’s a good time to talk about moms.
At Saint Francis Ministries, we see all kinds of mothers daily. Some of us are even mothers ourselves. Most mothers are genetically connected to us. Others, we choose … or they choose us, becoming adoptive or foster mothers.
Some are grandmothers who step in after they’d already raised their own children. Some are aunts, neighbors, family friends, or older siblings who couldn’t bear to leave a young person alone in this world. Some mothers struggle with life’s challenges yet work hard to create a better home for their children. Regardless of the situation, mothers love the children in their care.
Each one matters, and each one we celebrate on Mother’s Day.
For more than 80 years, Saint Francis Ministries has been guided by our mission to bring healing and hope to children and families. That mission is inseparable from the reality of motherhood and caregiving in all its forms. Our foster parents provide sanctuary. Our Family Centered Treatment® specialists help birth mothers reclaim their families. Our residential staff helps young people who have experienced deep trauma begin the slow road to healing. These are practical, daily, and sacrificial acts of love that mirror what mothers do.
We also hold space on this day for those who find Mother’s Day complicated, mothers separated from their children, children who have lost mothers, and women who longed to be mothers but walked a different path. Grace, not grief, is what we offer them.
This Mother’s Day, we give thanks for every woman and caregiver who has chosen to make space in her heart for a young person.
