A Mother’s Day Reflection on Legacy, Motherhood, and Becoming

Today, as we celebrate Mother’s Day 2026, I celebrate my mom, Monica.

She is celebrating in heaven, and I carry her love with me every day. She passed away in March of 1995 when I was just 11 years old.

There have been many moments throughout my life when I quietly wondered… would she be proud?

My mother believed deeply in the importance of education, discipline, and showing up well in the world. After her passing, I held tightly to the study habits and standards she expected of me. Mama didn’t play about grades.

College was a little tougher. Balancing work, school, and trying to figure out life stretched me in many ways. But by the grace of God, I made it through and graduated. (Ain’t the Lord alright?)

As I entered the workforce, I carried with me so much of who she was — her kindness, her strength, her confidence, and her ability to move with dignity and class. Over time, those experiences continued leading me back to work rooted in purpose and people.

Through nonprofit leadership, fundraising, advocacy, and community work, I have had the privilege to lead teams, support missions that matter, and be a voice for those who needed one most.

But if I’m honest, my most meaningful roles are the ones I carry inside my home.

Wife. Mother. Builder of legacy.

I now have the pleasure of raising a beautiful, engaging, intelligent young lady who I lovingly refer to as our “house manager” because she knows ALL the happenings at all times — along with two amazing young men who are growing into their God-ordained paths.

And I get to do life alongside my God-ordained purpose partner, whose love, friendship, and support I am grateful for daily.

Some days I sit back in complete awe of the life the Lord has blessed me with.

And now, as a mother myself, I no longer wonder the way I once did.

I know she would be proud of the woman I am and the woman I am still becoming — because I carry the lessons she taught me and pass them down to my own children every single day.

Today, I honor my mother for being the legacy creator for my daughter and me.

There are so many beautiful pieces of her that still live in me:

• Mom-and-daughter ice cream dates — a must
• Saturday morning store runs to all the stores — a rite of passage
• “What did you learn today?” after church — necessary
• Earrings and a lip before leaving the house — dignity
• Loving your family with everything in you — a blessing
• Leaving your impact wherever you go — a gift

To every mother reading this:

You are loved.
You are needed.
You are appreciated.

And to those who no longer have their mothers here physically — let today be whatever you need it to be.

Rest. Celebrate. Reflect. Cry. Laugh. Remember.

But above all else, remember this:

You are a walking, breathing piece of her.

And the world is better because of what she left in you for us to receive.

You are amazing.

ForHer Monica,

Kalishia
Founder, ForHer