A day like Mother’s Day can be a day filled with conflicting and complicated emotions when you are caring for another mother’s child. At Christ’s Haven, we hold space for the mix of feelings and all of the mothers involved.

We honor the mothers who showed their bravery and love by raising their hands and asking for help.

We honor the houseparents who showed their bravery and love by stepping in no matter how short or long the period of time.

One of our houseparents shared this reflection about her role at Christ’s Haven:

“I’ve been a stepmom for much longer than I’ve been a housemom. And, yet, the two uncertainties are the same. Am I doing this right? How is this child feeling? Is he handling things well? Where could I do more? Where could I do less? As a biological mother, I know my role. I’m secure in how I perform those duties. As a support mom, my role is very gray. Am I helping or hurting? Is it even possible to really make a difference here?

But in those rare moments when the uncertainties settle, the goal becomes clear: just keep showing up. Regardless of the relationship we share with our parents, isn’t that all we really want? We desire the assurance that someone will always be there. So on those days when we housemoms don’t have a clue what we’re doing, we stick to what we know: keep showing up.”