With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to share a special piece called A Mother’s Love. A mother’s love is one of the most powerful and profound forces in our lives. Her love is limitless—pure and unwavering. A mother’s love is peace itself, freely given and never earned.

A mother’s love doesn’t need to be earned—it’s given unconditionally. She is someone who can fill every role, yet no one can ever take her place. Her love is the heart of the family—the glue that holds us all together.

 

A mother’s love is the fuel that empowers us to achieve the impossible. Her strength can move mountains, and nothing stands in her way when it comes to her children—no matter their age.

 

When I reflect on a mother’s love, I think of my own mother—Myrtle Lee Zachary Jackson. She was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. Everything I am, I owe to her. As the oldest of five, I witnessed firsthand the depth of her love—unconditional, unwavering, and full of grace. Her guidance and discipline were always gentle, never harsh. She was the very best mother we could have asked for.

My mother never raised her voice, and she never called us anything but our names with love. I remember so clearly that whenever I disobeyed her growing up, she would always take the time to talk to me first—calmly explaining why my actions were wrong—before ever considering discipline. Her approach was rooted in understanding, not punishment.

 

Though not every act of disobedience called for a spanking, when she did discipline me, she always made sure I knew it came from love. She never failed to say, ‘I love you,’ even in those moments.

 

After a spanking, my mother would gently say, ‘I don’t enjoy doing this, but I do it because I love you. I want you to be obedient and set an example for the others.’ But perhaps the greatest gift she ever gave me was introducing me to Jesus and guiding me in faith. As I stepped into adulthood, the bond between my mother and me grew even deeper. No longer just my mother, she became my best friend—continuing to offer her love, wisdom, and unwavering guidance.

My mother was the true embodiment of a virtuous woman, leading by example through the life she lived. She made countless, often unspoken, sacrifices to ensure we had a safe and comfortable life—always placing our needs above her own.

 

The last sacrifice my mother made for me occurred when we were both hospitalized a day apart for COVID, fighting for our lives for nearly two months. During that time, we would text each other whenever we could. One morning, my sister called to tell me that Mom was doing much better and wanted to hear my voice.

 

That day, I was incredibly sick, barely able to speak. My doctor was preparing to put me on a ventilator and had already brought the machine into my room. It took me almost half a day to gather the strength to call my mom. When she answered, her voice was strong, just like herself. She asked, “How are you, baby?” I lied and told her I was doing much better. She responded with, “That’s the news I’ve been waiting for, because I’ve been praying for you.” She encouraged me to keep fighting. I told her the same, though she didn’t respond right away. I repeated it again, and she simply said, ‘Mm-hmm.’ Her response troubled me.

 

Mom asked me to call her at the same time the next day. As promised, I did, but when she answered, I could barely hear her. I asked what was wrong, and then another voice came on the line. I heard machines beeping in the background, and the voice said, “I’ll have your mother call you back later.”

 

My mother had made the ultimate sacrifice—she gave up the fight to live so that I could live. In honor of her love and strength, I must continue to carry on her legacy, Ms. Myrtle’s Bakery. She poured so much into me, especially as her oldest child, and gave so much to me from the moment I was born until her last breath. I am so thankful that God blessed me with the opportunity to give her flowers—flowers of respect and honor—while she was still here to experience them.

Because of my mother’s love, I was able to walk away from a successful career to help her start the bakery, knowing she couldn’t pay me the salary I was used to. For the first three years, I worked for free. But it was my mother’s love that made those sacrifices easy to make. Her love will carry me through to my last breath, and I know one day, I will see her again.

Andrea “Dutchess” Jackson