St. Mother Teresa once said that the “future of humanity” depends on love and peace within the family. At the center of that love and peace in the family is the mother. Society’s lie that mothers cannot have successful careers or achieve their goals has caused some women to refuse the gift of motherhood.
“We all thirst for love of others, that they go out of their way to avoid harming us and to do good for us. This is the meaning of true love – to give until it hurts,” said Mother Teresa during the February 1997 National Prayer Breakfast, adding:
We cannot solve all the problems in the world, but let us never bring in the worst problem of all — to destroy love, to destroy life. Motherhood is the gift of God to women. How grateful we must be to God for this wonderful gift that brings such joy to the whole world, women and men alike!
Yet we can destroy this gift of motherhood, especially by the evil of abortion, but also by thinking that other things like jobs or positions are more important than loving, than giving oneself to others. No jobs, no plans, no possessions, no idea of ‘freedom’ can take the place of love.
Some well-known moms have shared how much this gift of motherhood has enriched their lives.
Bethany Hamilton
Professional surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton is the mother of four children and has made countless comments about what a gift it is to be a mother. As a pro-life woman, she wants other women to know, “There is absolutely no comparison to growing a precious human life.”
“I believe that life is a gift,” she said, “and each and every life has value. Every single human life is fearfully and wonderfully made, and I believe should be viewed that way!”
Even with all of her accomplishments, she finds that her children and family are the greatest. “We can pursue so many things in life, but what if we pursued what is right in front of us: the beautiful blessing that is family?!” she said.
Hannah Neeleman
Mrs. American 2023, Hannah Neeleman, is the mother of seven children, and while competing in the Mrs. American pageant, she was asked about the most empowering experience of her life.
Screenshot: ballerinafarm Instagram
“I have felt this feeling seven times now as I bring these sacred souls to the earth,” she said. “After I hold that newborn baby in my arms, the feeling of motherhood and bringing them to the earth is the most empowering feeling I have ever felt.”
Kelly Osbourne
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 11: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Kelly Osbourne visits SiriusXM Studios on May 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
After the birth of her son, reality star and fashion designer Kelly Osbourne told E! News, “I’m a mom now, I love it. It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. It’s scary as f-k because you don’t want to make a mistake.” Her favorite part was how “mom-obsessed” her young son is.
“[I]f he sees me, he is reaching for me, and I love it.”
Sarah Snook
Actress Sarah Snook welcomed a baby girl in 2023, and when she took the stage to accept an Emmy, she thanked the cast and crew of her show “Succession,” as well as her husband, parents, and a very special girl.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: Sarah Snook, winner of Best Actress in a Drama Series for “Succession,” poses in the press room during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
“The biggest thank you is to someone who won’t understand anything I say at the moment but I carried her with me in this last season and really it was her who carried me,” she said. It’s very easy to act when you’re pregnant because you’ve got hormones raging. It was the proximity of her life growing inside me [that] gave me the strength to do this. I love you so much and it’s all for you from here on out.”
Hilary Duff
View this post on Instagram
Actress Hilary Duff is the mother of four, and has received both criticism and support for this. However, she said motherhood is “the happiest, most beautiful experience. … I love when everyone’s full of energy and the house is buzzing. You never know what the day is going to bring or what your kid’s going to say. We’re in the thick of it, and it feels good.”
Gal Gadot
“So excited to share this wonder with you… #mommyforthesecondtime” Gadot has captioned this photo on Instagram.
Gal Gadot, star of “Wonder Woman,” is the mother of four girls. “I feel so completely blessed and thankful for all the Wonders in my life,” she said in 2017.
After the emergency birth of her fourth daughter in 2024 (due to a blood clot found in Gadot’s brain), she said, “Giving birth is a miracle, a testament to the strength and resilience of our bodies and spirits.” She reflected on “the personal miracle I was granted. My daughter, Ori, is a constant reminder of resilience, hope, and the strength we carry within.”
Kristin Armstrong
Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kristin Armstrong once shared that the secret to her success is motherhood.
While some people acted like training for the Olympics was too much for a mom to do, Armstrong was clear, saying, “What people didn’t realize [was] that it was my secret weapon because when I came home, no matter [if] it was a good or bad day on the bike, I just had this little one smiling at me and, actually, Lucas didn’t care, right? He didn’t really care how my bike ride went. And so it really put things in perspective and so the stress and all that I put into the bike each and every day when I didn’t have Lucas, it kind of just wore on me and it really just hung until my next ride.”
She added, “But when you show up and you have this little human being and you love him so much… all of that goes away until your next ride and it’s gonna be better because that’s just a small part of your life.”
