My First Mothers Day Without My Girls

Although some people see Mothers Day as a commerical holiday, I think it is a special day to be intentional about celebrating any and all mother-figures.

But after nearly 45 years, today is my first Mothers Day without my girls, my grandmothers. Two special people who were played different roles in making it possible for me, as a 17 y/o mother of a two-year old, to move to Memphis and attend the University of Memphis and grow to become the woman I am today and to be able to make an impact on this community and beyond.

My Grandma Agnes Owens just turned 102 on March 10th and transitioned on April 3. Grandma Ocie would have turned 98 on April 24th but transitioned on March 29th. Five days apart. 

There life celebration services were held on April 7th and April 20th, and then on April 27th we held thS.O. What! Awards and Scholarship Soiree. They were there with me in spirit, and I honored them.

I shared how my grandmother, Agnes Owens, had helped me with my son and how she attended the Inaugural S.O. What! Awards and Scholarship Soiree at 101 years old along with my mother.

I shared how in 2018 and 2019, I had the honor of writing the stories of both of my grandmothers. I spent weeks talking to them about their journeys full of stories of resilience, and I grew even closer to both of them. 

I shared how witnessing the decline and then the passing of my grandmothers who I loved dearly over the past 30 days, I had been struggling to understand how I could lose them both so close together. I may never fully understand why God chose to take them from together, but I am choosing to honor their names together forever while helping other women become as strong and resilient as they were and showed me how to be.

I announced the creation of The Agnes Owens & Ocie Williams Memorial Scholarship that will be awarded to female students with a demonstrated resilience story pursuing a post-secondary education opportunity. 

And I shared the book that I was writing to honor their legacy even further and pass on the wisdom I’ve gotten from them.

100 Lessons My Centenarian Grandmas Taught Me: Two Centuries of Mother Wisdom and Timeless Advice on Confidence, Resilience, Leadership, and Life will be released this month!

So although I am sad that I won’t be able to laugh with my grandmas this Mother’s Day, I am grateful for mothers and as a mother. I will honor their legacy, I will continue to appreciate my mother, and I will love my son.

I’m sending love to all those who have experienced the loss of a mother, grandmother, or mother-figure. Now I know how that feels.

Happy Mothers to anyone filling the toughest and most important job on the planet.