Dear Mama-To-Be,

This Mother’s Day feels a little different, doesn’t it? Whether you’re cradling a newborn, chasing after toddlers, or simply resting your hands on a growing belly, there’s a quiet, beautiful truth that pulses through every stage: you’re already a mother.

I remember when I first learned I was pregnant (with both of my boys), in different seasons of life. Before I ever held them in my arms, I held them in my heart. With every flutter, every heartbeat on the ultrasound, every moment of stillness and worry and hope, I was mothering. Loving and becoming. Even when the world couldn’t yet see it, I was already transformed.

This year, I’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day with my two sons; my not-so-little 13-year-old, Chase, and my almost 7-month-old, Jett. Two boys who are growing up in very different moments in my life, but who both taught me how to mother in their own unique ways. Chase gave me my first glimpse of unconditional love, of fierce protection, of growing up while raising someone else. Jett reminds me every day that it’s never too late to begin again.. to fall in love with the little things, to be tender with myself, and to embrace this beautiful chaos all over again.

But what makes this Mother’s Day especially sweet is who I get to share it with. My boys, yes.. but also the women who shaped me into the kind of mother I am today. My own mother, who taught me strength and sacrifice, and my sister, who reminds me that motherhood is not meant to be walked alone. We’ll be gathered, different generations, different stories, but all stitched together by love, and by a shared understanding of what it means to give so much of yourself, and yet feel so full.

So to you Mama’s, I want to say this: you’re already doing it. You’re already being it. You don’t need to wait for the first cry, or the first birthday, or the first anything. That connection you feel, that mix of awe and fear and joy? That’s motherhood. You are part of this day too.

This Mother’s Day, I hope you feel celebrated. I hope you pause long enough to recognize the sacred work happening within you. I hope you see that even if your arms aren’t full yet, your heart is. And that is more than enough.