A Mother’s Day Reflection on 35 Years of Grace, Growth, and Grit

This weekend marks my 35th Mother’s Day.

It’s a number that humbles me—because it carries with it decades of memories, growth, and moments that have shaped who I am. Becoming a mom at 19, I couldn’t have imagined the road ahead. I just knew that Steve and I were in it together, ready (or not) to build something meaningful with our family.

After the birth of our third child, we made the decision that I would stay home. It wasn’t an easy financial choice—my part-time job barely covered daycare costs—but it was the right one for our family. That decision launched me into my first entrepreneurial role: running a daycare from our home.

From the early days of diaper bags and night feedings to now watching our children raise their own, this journey has been anything but predictable—but every twist has been worth it.

What started with a couple of little boys grew into a licensed daycare business that served several families. Then life shifted again, and so did we—literally. Steve’s job moved us from North Dakota to southeast Minnesota, and eventually to west-central Wisconsin. Each time we packed up our home, we unpacked the same question: What’s best for the kids?

Homeschooling? We tried it. Montessori? Yep. Traditional school, online school, even moving to the country and raising chickens—we did all of it with one goal: to support and nurture our kids in the best way we could.

There were lean times too—seasons of scraping together meals with what was on hand, juggling coupons, and tag-teaming jobs to make it all work. I remember Steve taking on an evening job while I kept the house running during the day. In Fargo, I flipped between mortgage processing in the afternoons and overnight shifts at a local department store—while homeschooling during the day. It was exhausting, but we were committed.

What carried me through wasn’t just grit. It was grace.

A circle of other homeschool moms group I started in our living room. Women’s bible studies offered by our church, friends who prayed with us and showed up when we needed it most. And that quiet strength I didn’t know I had until life required it.

Nineteen years ago, we moved to western Wisconsin for what we thought would be a short chapter. But here we are—still planted, still growing. Two of our children now have families of their own, and we get to support them the way we once supported each other.

These days, I find myself reflecting often on Proverbs 31:25:

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

Proverbs 31:25

I didn’t always feel strong. I certainly didn’t always feel dignified. And there were plenty of days I wasn’t laughing. But looking back, I see it now—the way God clothed me in strength when I didn’t think I had any left. The way He brought dignity in the everyday work of motherhood. And the joy of seeing what has grown from those seeds sown in hard soil. My children, and their children, are blessings that continue to bloom in their own beauty.

To every mom walking your own journey—whether you’re just beginning or looking back—know this: you’re stronger than you think. You are clothed in more grace than you can see. And the days ahead? They still hold laughter, love, and purpose.

Happy Mother’s Day,

With love and grace,

Ailene