Not a mom? No problem! Mothering is love in action, and we all do it!
Hey y’all, welcome to More Lovin, the podcast that brings more laughter, light, and love into everyday life. I’m your host LeAnn Austin, and together we’ll rediscover the beauty of connection to your body, your mind, your spirit, and the people you love.
Today’s episode #223: The Mothering We All Do
With Mother’s Day coming up, I started thinking about something that feels really important… mothering. Not just motherhood, but mothering.
Because when you really think about it, mothering is bigger than being a mom. Mothering is love in action. It’s nurturing, encouraging, helping someone believe in themselves. And the beautiful thing is, we all do it.
When I look back on my life, some of the people who mothered me weren’t actually my mother. They were teachers, friends, and mentors. Someone who noticed me, someone who encouraged me, someone who said the exact words I needed to hear at the exact moment. That’s mothering. Mothering is the moment when someone sees something good in you and helps you see it too.
Another thing I love about mothering is that you don’t have to have children to mother people. You might mother someone by listening when someone needs to talk, encouraging a friend, cheering someone on, giving someone hope, helping someone feel safe. Often the most powerful mothering happens in the smallest moments. A kind word, a hug, a… you’ve got this.
I even see it with my grandkids sometimes. It’s the tiny moment that reminds me what mothering really is. Like when a little climbs something hard and proudly says, “I did it!” And you’re there cheering them on. That’s encouragement. That’s celebration. That’s mothering. Helping someone believe in themselves.
And here’s something we don’t talk about enough. Sometimes we also need to mother ourselves, AKA self-mothering. To speak kindly to ourselves, to give ourselves patience, to say: you are doing better than you think, what you are doing matters, or you are allowed to rest. These are beautiful and impactful forms of mothering too.
As we wrap up today’s episode, I want to leave you with two questions.
First, who has mothered you in your life?
Who saw something good in you, encourage you, lifted you up, or loved you in a way that changed you.
And here’s the second question. Who might you be mothering right now?
Maybe it’s a child, maybe it’s a friend, maybe it’s someone who just needs encouragement. Sometimes the smallest moments of kindness and support become the biggest turning points in someone’s life, and we may never fully know the impact we have.
So if someone came to your mind today, a mom, a mentor, a teacher, a friend, send this episode to them. Let them know they matter. The world needs more lovin, more encouragement, more kindness, more people who see the good in others, and that is the mothering we all do.
So today, I hope you take a moment to appreciate the people who have mothered you and the beautiful ways you mother the world, and yourself too. Hmm, something to think about.
Here’s to mothering, connection, and more lovin. Have a good one y’all.
Thanks for tuning in. If you are ready to take what we talk about here and make it personal, let’s work together one-on-one. I’ll help you calm your nervous system, strengthen your relationships, and create more lovin, laughter, and calm in your life. You can find all the details at leannaustin.com
Until next time. Keep choosing fun, connection, and a whole lot more lovin. Have a good one y’all.