Mother’s Day Isn’t Always Easy | Honoring From a Distance | Jorge Estevez

Tomorrow, the world celebrates Mother’s Day.

For many, it’s a beautiful day filled with love, gratitude, and family.

But for others… people like myself… it has never been that simple.

Not every mother-and-child relationship is loving, nurturing, or safe.

For some, this day is filled with guilt, confusion, fake smiles, and quiet reflection.

I fall into the category of estranged relationships.

My mother and I had a toxic relationship, and although I love her in my own way and wish her no ill will, I had to make the life-changing decision to walk away.

Not out of hate.

Out of self-love.

For years, guilt was used to keep me emotionally chained. I was told things like:

“The Bible says you must love your mother and father.”

“A son who doesn’t love his mother doesn’t love God.”

Can you imagine carrying that weight?

Feeling like protecting your own peace somehow made you unworthy of God?

But as I got older… and stronger in scripture… I realized something important:

The commandment says to HONOR your father and mother.

Not worship them.

Not enable abuse.

Not destroy yourself trying to earn love from people unwilling to give it.

Honor and love are not always the same thing.

I honor my mother every day by being the man I chose to become instead of becoming bitter from what I lived through.

I pray wherever she is, she is happy, healed, and at peace.

And for anyone struggling silently this Mother’s Day…

You are not evil for protecting your peace.

Sometimes distance is not disrespect.

Sometimes it is survival. -Jorge Estevez / Wolf Witman

Happy Mother’s Day from Jorge Estevez