Mother’s Day 2026| Her Legacy Lives On

Honoring the Mothers and Mother Figures Whose Love Shaped Who We Are Today

By: Dr. Debranetta

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.”Lamentations 3:21, King James Version

Today, I am writing this post with a full heart. Full of gratitude. With a million memories. Full of grief. And still, somehow, full of hope.

Yesterday, I laid my aunt to rest. She was a mother figure in every meaningful sense of the word who poured into me in ways I am still discovering to this day. The memories that I recalled after learning about her death flooded my mind and filled my heart. She was stern and corrected in love, and I remember the many… many life lessons. It was her love of learning that lit a fire in me that never went out. That fire carried me through my collegiate studies. She is the reason I hold a doctorate today. I owe her so much more than words can hold, and more than I had time to say.

Why I am Pursing my Doctorate in Business Administration

She did not just teach me what to learn, she showed me how to love the pursuit of it – Dr. Debranetta

So today, on Mother’s Day, I want to speak to something deeper than flowers and brunches. I want to talk about what mothers and mother figures actually do. What they leave behind, a legacy. I hope this post inspires you on this Mother’s Day!

The strength no one fully sees

As career moms, we know something about invisible labor. We understand the planning that happens before anyone else is awake, the decisions made in the margins of the day, and the constant pouring out of energy in every direction while somehow finding the strength to refill. At Career Mom Community, we have written often about women who are ambitious, purposeful, and fully committed to both the family they are raising and the career they are building. But today, I want to honor something beyond strategy and planning. I want to honor the kind of strength that holds a family together through storms, the determination a mother carries not for applause or recognition, but simply because her love demands it. That kind of strength does not retire or call in sick. It shows up in the way she listens, in the standards she sets, and in the vision she casts for the people she loves.

A personal reflection for Mother’s Day

My aunt was that kind of woman. She was determined, endlessly curious, and believed that knowledge was never a luxury reserved for a select few, but something every person deserved access to. She made learning feel like my birthright. Every book she placed in my hands, every conversation that stretched my thinking, every question she encouraged me to ask instead of simply accepting the first answer, all became part of who I am today.

In the words of Lamentations, I find what I need: hope. Not because the grief is gone, but because what she gave me cannot be taken.

Life and Legacy of Mothers

I want to encourage you that legacy is not something that waits until the end of a life to begin. It is built in the everyday moments that feel ordinary but are anything but. For me, I pray that I am continuing my aunt’s legacy of excellence in education. She was the one who made me believe that a little girl like me could go all the way. It is the same spirit I am inspiring in my children. Whatever their passion is, I encourage them to pursue to the fullest.

I did not accomplish my academic endeavors alone. My aunt was someone who helped build the woman who did. May we be women who build the next generation.

Here are 3 ways to build legacy as a Career Mom

Invest in the Next Generation Through Intentional Mentorship: Legacy is built through intentionality. It is built on purpose, one conversation at a time. As career moms, we have hard-earned wisdom that someone else is desperately waiting to receive. This is why I am committed to coaching, researching, writing, and mentoring to provide resources for others. How are you investing in the next generation through mentorship?

Model a Standard of Excellence in Your Home and Your Career: Your children are not just watching what you say. They are studying how you live. I have found that my kids remember more of what I do than what I say. If the two are not congruent, it causes confusion in their development and behavior.

Document Your Journey So Others Can Learn From It: Your story is not just yours; in my opinion, it should be shared with others in some way. Write it down. Share it. Talk about the hard parts, not just the highlight reel. That is exactly what this community was built for: to remind every career mom that her story is worth telling and her legacy is already being written.

In Conclusion…

Mother’s Day is not just a celebration. For many of us, it is also a moment of reflection. A moment to grieve what we have lost, honor what was poured into us, and recommit to what we are building for the ones who come after us. If you are missing your mom or your mother figure today, let yourself feel it. Recall the good to your mind. Let hope rise up in the remembering, because that is exactly what Lamentations 3:21 calls us to do.

With love and deep gratitude,

Dr. Debranetta