#Motherhood Matters: Meet Momma Simone

In continuation of my celebration of mothers, I’d like to introduce you to another mother who has significantly impacted my life. Meet Momma Simone. She is my boyfriend’s mother, but in the years that he and I have been dating, she has become a second mother to me. Momma Simone always inspires me through her wild generosity and her hidden strength.

When my boyfriend and I began dating, she was out of the country. Even before I met her, I got a glimpse of her hospitality. I remember coming over to my boyfriend’s house to have dinner, and he would pull all these delicious pre-made meals out of his freezer. Before she left, Momma Simone made lots of food to be stored in the freezer for her boys and all their friends. Every time I come to visit, the first thing Momma Simone says to me is, “There is this food and that food in the fridge, and those foods already made on the counter. Please help yourself.” She has welcomed me in with open arms from the beginning, and I hope one day I can be so welcoming in my own home.

I also have always admired her strength. Momma Simone has told me stories of hardships she has faced in the past, and I have watched her rise up to so many challenges over the last few years with such grace. She doesn’t complain and she doesn’t fret. No, even when she is facing struggles of her own, Momma Simone turns away from fear and serves her friends and family instead. I want to be a woman like Momma Simone—a woman of strength and dignity. Thank you, mom. I am forever grateful for the impact you’ve had on me.