Zurica D’Souza
There is a kind of motherhood the world does not always see. It does not arrive wrapped in milestones or easy victories. It does not wait for approval, nor does it fit neatly into expectations. It is relentless, unyielding, and profoundly powerful. They are the ones who go beyond themselves, every single day as they fight battles for acceptance, access, dignity, and respect. They push against systems that resist, challenge voices that doubt, and confront a world that often underestimates their children.
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They are not just mothers. They are advocates, educators, and protectors. They master the language of therapies, diagnoses, and interventions but more importantly, they embody patience, resilience, and unwavering belief. They do not wait for the world to change, they force it to and challenge norms. They refuse to let society dictate who their children can become and not just shaping one life, they are reshaping the world around them.
The reality is not gentle as the exhaustion is real and then come the meltdowns, intense, consuming, and unforgiving. In those moments, they do not retreat as they absorb the storm. They hold steady when everything else breaks apart. They become the safe place, the force that keeps their child grounded. That level of responsibility demands a strength most people will never fully understand. They celebrate victories others overlook and recognize progress where others see none.
But behind that strength are sacrifices that are too often unseen and too rarely acknowledged. Sleepless nights that blur into days and a constant vigilance that never switches off. A physical and emotional toll that does not pause, even when everything else does. They keep giving until there is nothing left to give but strength was never meant to mean losing oneself. Running on empty is not strength; it is quiet depletion. This should never be the cost of loving deeply. Caring for themselves is not indulgence; it is survival. It is what keeps them whole. Because to truly show up for their child in presence, patience, love they must first show up for themselves. Their children do not just need endurance. They need a presence that is grounded, clarity that is calm and a heart that is not only strong, but whole.
They need their village. When the village is absent, they build it themselves. They create circles of unwavering strength, of mothers who do not compete, but carry each other where understanding does not need explanation, and silence is never mistaken for distance. They find their tribe, the ones who see without needing to be told, who do not judge, but hold space and offer real presence. They refuse to let anyone fall through the cracks of isolation. Because even in the absence of a village, they become one for each other.
This Mother’s Day is not just recognition. It is a reckoning that their well-being and their identity matters beyond caregiving, beyond sacrifice, beyond endurance. This is where the community can step in and truly make a difference because no mother should have to carry this alone. This is where support stops being a kind gesture and becomes a lifeline. When someone shows up with understanding, with patience, with presence, it changes everything. It lightens the load. It creates space to breathe. It reminds her that she is seen, that she is supported, that she does not have to do it all by herself.
These mothers are not only raising children, they are reshaping systems and redefining understanding. They are building a world that is more inclusive, conscious, and human than the one that existed before them. This is strength. This is power. This is motherhood redefined. And they need to celebrate themselves, every single day!
(Zurica D’Souza is a parent advocate, leading marketing and donor relations at Sethu, to build a more inclusive world.)
