The First Mother’s Day After Everything Changed

I remember dreading my first Mother’s Day after my husband left.

Not because I didn’t love being a mom. I did, and still do, more than anything. But because that day used to be filled with small but meaningful gestures: a card, a gift, a lunch reservation thoughtfully made on my behalf. My son was still too little to plan anything on his own, and I remember lying in bed thinking: Who’s going to celebrate me now? Who’s going to make me feel seen, appreciated…not forgotten?

Grief has a funny way of showing up in unexpected places. And on that morning, it hit hard.

But what I didn’t know, what I couldn’t have predicted, was that I wasn’t going to be alone that day after all.

My sister had quietly stepped in. Days before, she had taken my son out to buy me a small gift. When I woke up on Mother’s Day, he toddled into my room, proud and beaming, and handed it to me. That moment cracked something open in me.

Later that day, my sister surprised me again, treating me to a full afternoon of love, food, laughter, and presence. She didn’t have to do it. She’s a mom, too. But she chose to share her day with me. And in doing so, she reminded me of one of the most powerful truths about womanhood: we nurture each other.

It wasn’t a grand gesture. It was something far more lasting—community.

At Knott Working, we know not everyone has a sister like mine. Not everyone has someone who will step in quietly and hold you when you’re trying to hold everything together. That’s why we’re building this space. For the woman who feels like she’s celebrating Mother’s Day alone. For the ones navigating heartbreak while showing up for their children. For the nurturers who need nurturing, too.

Because life will happen. Plans will change. Marriages will end. But your circle, your people, will be the reason you get through it.

And when you don’t have one, we’ll be here. Building it with you. For you.

This Mother’s Day, I celebrate all the women who show up for others while holding their own pain. The sisters, the friends, the neighbors, the chosen family. You are the reason someone else gets through the hard days.

And to all the moms doing it solo, you are not forgotten. You are not alone.