Mother Love

We feel sentimental, grateful, or maybe sad on Mother’s Day.

Mother love is beautiful. In many ways it reflects God’s love. It is something to celebrate.

But giving and receiving love between mothers and children doesn’t always come easy.

So many obstacles can get in the way. What do we do, then, with mother wounds and losses, the conflicts, and the unmet needs we may carry? In the book, Journeys to Mother Love (Cladach, 2012) nine women – mothers and daughters of all ages – share how they overcame hurts and conflicts between mother and child, experienced relational healing, and found new freedom to give and receive love. Women with broken places in their relationships with mother or child can begin their own healing journey as they read:

“Run, Run, as Fast as You Can” by A.R. Cecil

“She Did Her Best” by Treva Brown

“Take Care of Your Mother” by Verna Hill Simms

“Finding the Blessings in Alzheimer’s” by Kerry Luksic

“Beauty from Barrenness” by Kyleen Stevenson-Braxton

“When I Feel Forsaken” by Catherine Lawton

“Finishing Well” by Ellen Cardwell

“Walking My Mother Home” by Ardis A. Nelson

As always, I appreciate readers and reviewers taking time to contribute their responses after reading the book. For example:

“An anthology of heartfelt true stories by Christian women about the healing gifts of God, and how He helped mothers bridge rifts between themselves and their children or stepchildren…. Profound, powerful … highly recommended.”

− Midwest Book Review

“The emotional distance between a mother and daughter can be painful and prolonged. The heart-wrenching stories in Journeys to Mother Love reveal how God can bridge this chasm with healing and love.”

− Nancy Parker Brummett, author of Take My Hand Again: A Faith-Based Guide for Helping Aging Parents

“From murder to manipulation, Alzheimer’s to abandonment, through barrenness and bewilderment, this crisply-written compilation of stories is arresting and unflinchingly honest. You will find elements of your own journey in all of them; you will want to join the company of these courageous women who are now traveling with less of a limp and more of a leap.”

− Alice Scott-Ferguson, author of Mothers Can’t Be Everywhere, But God Is

“Mothers of all ages, from all walks of life, in their own voices tell their stories of hurt and healing to guide others down similar paths to freedom and forgiveness. If you felt neglected as a child, suffered abuse of one sort or another or had to deal with a complicated mother/daughter relationship, this book is for you. Each chapter ends with a short bio and photo of the author, and it was interesting to note how negative experiences can turn into ministries. All the women testify to the faithfulness of God regardless of circumstances and offer inspirational reading at its best.”
− Shirley Brosius, author of Sisterhood of Faith

     Motherhood is a journey! As Caroline Kennedy wrote in She Walks in Beauty, “Having a child defines us for the rest of our lives…. Each mother-child relationship teaches us our limitations and our strengths. It changes us in constantly unfolding ways and entwines us in the unpredictable mystery of another life….”

(This post first written  in 2017 and revised May 10 and 13, 2024.)