So God Made a Mother is Here! 🎉

Millions of Americans gathered around their televisions to watch the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States, and the first-ever Vice President of color, who also happens to be a woman. We gathered around our brightly-lit screens to take in the history that was being made, regardless of party. Many of us with daughters watched their reactions as they saw someone who looked like them take her oath to serve our country as Vice President.

And while our hearts were filled with joy at this history being made, a young woman stole the show.

Amanda Gorman is a young poet, just 23 years old, and a cum laude Harvard graduate. Raised by a single mother along with two siblings, Amanda’s eloquent reciting of the poem “The Hill We Climb” was what brought many spectators to tears. Her delivery was gentle and rhythmic; the words flowed from her small frame as if she were speaking directly to the hearts of Americans. She radiated confidence as she spoke not only in front of the socially distanced crowd but to the millions at home watching on their screens. 

She not only captivated the nation—she made history herself.

Ms. Gorman was the youngest person ever invited to speak at a Presidential Inauguration. It’s a decision that elevated her platform (her first children’s book is available for pre-order now!) and soothed many souls. The message of her poem was just what a fractured country needed to hear. She spoke for nearly six minutes, and by the end of her poem, left those who heard it with a little more hope for the future. 

Watching her speak made me feel hopeful for the first time in months. It was as if the air had suddenly been let back into the room where I stood tensed with eyes squeezed tight. Feeling the pride swell in my chest as the tension simultaneously released from my body was surreal, and listening to her deliver her poem with such grace as my own daughter—not much younger than her—watched on and saw limits being lifted caused stinging behind my own eyes.  

The next generation is full of powerhouses and change-makers and the future is bright, for, as. Ms. Gorman so beautifully said, “there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Amanda Gorman (@amandascgorman)

 

Recommendations in this post contain affiliate links. Her View From Home may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Jacalyn Wetzel

Jacalyn is a mother of four, and the creator of the blog Stop Yelling Please. She writes about motherhood in a way that most can relate. Jacalyn’s passion is parenting and relating to parents who may be struggling with the day to day. She’s a speaker, author and Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Our Kids Need to See Us Slow Down Too

In: Living, Motherhood
Friends with feet up around a fire pit, color photo

I have a girlfriend who has a lake house just over an hour away. It’s in a small town that has a local Mexican restaurant with a fun, easy-going staff that feels like they have to be family. There have been times over the last few years that something about that casual, bright restaurant with its rowdy waiters and surprisingly outstanding, cheap food makes me feel so content. The small lake town is not that far from home, but it feels far enough away to be unavailable to my responsibilities and have a tiny piece of that vacation vibe (without...

Keep Reading

Dear Teachers, Thank You Will Never Be Enough

In: Kids, Living
Kids hugging teacher

Growing up a teacher’s daughter has given me a lifetime of appreciation for educators. Of course, it’s true; I may be biased. I’ve been fortunate to have learned and been guided by many outstanding teachers, including my mother and grandmother, who passed those legacy skills onto my daughter, who strongly feels teaching is her calling. But if you’ve had your eyes and ears open in recent years, you, too, probably feel deep gratitude for the angels among us who work in the school system. So, as the school year ends, and on behalf of parents, grandparents, and anyone who loves...

Keep Reading

When the Last Baby Graduates

In: Grown Children, Living, Motherhood
Graduate with parents smiling, cap and gown

We’ve been through this before, so we know the waves of emotions that roll through us. When our kids graduate—be it from preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, or college—we moms come to terms with one season ending and a new one beginning. RELATED: I Blinked and You Went From Kindergarten to College When it’s your last child who is graduating from college, this can feel like uncharted territory. Yes, we know that we find new rhythms to our relationship from having gone through this with our other child(ren). But we as moms have not yet left the college...

Keep Reading

The Face In the Mirror Has Changed, But It Tells My Story

In: Living, Motherhood
Woman standing in kitchen next to roses, color photo

If I were to do an inventory of my home of 42 years, I would get a grip on what should be thrown out, given away, or kept. The older I become, the more difficult it is for me to make these decisions. I attempted making a list of personal items I would like each of my sons to have (not that they wouldn’t get rid of them after I am gone) and have started thinking about items to bequeath to grandchildren. I believe I know which son would be happy to acquire books, which son would gladly be the...

Keep Reading

I’ll Do Whatever It Takes to Fight for My Mental Health

In: Living
Woman holding white pill in hand, color photo

Trigger warning: self-harm and suicide mentioned Today, I did one of the hardest things I’ve ever done: I started anxiety medication.  I’ve struggled with anxiety as far back as I can remember. At age eight and on, I remember having crowd and social anxiety and being forced into situations where I felt so unstable. Church functions, stage freight, crowds of people I didn’t feel safe around. At age 15, I experienced my first panic attack. I remember thinking I was having a heart attack, wondering why I’d be dying from a heart attack so young. It wasn’t until I was...

Keep Reading

I’m Done Teaching and the Goodbye Is Hard

In: Living
Empty classroom

Packing up several years’ worth of supplies purchased with my own money, I heave a deep exhale. The room looks so bare now. It’s less colorful and joyful. It’s lost its magic.  I kind of feel the same way about myself. After months of contemplation and decision-making, I won’t be unpacking these boxes when school returns in August. I won’t be returning to the classroom at all. Somewhere along the way, I seem to have lost some of that teacher magic that once sparkled so brilliantly.  But if I’ve spent so much time making this choice, why am I overcome...

Keep Reading

Never Allow Kids on Riding Lawn Mowers: One Dad’s Terrifying Warning

In: Living
Teen and young boy on riding lawn mower

As we strolled the neighborhood last night, it seemed like almost everyone was out mowing their lawns. It was one of those early summer evenings that was almost perfect—70s, calm, not too many bugs—just right for tackling some yard work.  When we got home, I noticed a friend had shared a post on Facebook that made me stop in my tracks—because I’d just seen the very thing it was warning about, and I hadn’t considered the danger.  Buddy Shoemaker, a father of three in New Hampshire, shared a sobering post about his youngest son, Grady, and the accident that nearly...

Keep Reading

It Hurts Seeing My Kid as a B-List Friend

In: Friendship, Kids, Teen
Teen girl sitting alone on a dock

Kids everywhere are celebrating, or will be celebrating soon. They will be playing outside, enjoying warm summer days, bike rides with friends, and maybe even sleepovers. It’s summer—it’s fun, right? Sure, it is. And sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes it isn’t fun for the kids you least expect it from. We have that issue, and I knew it was building for the past few weeks with our teenage daughter. She was moody (moodier than normal). Short tempered. Obviously frustrated, but not ready to talk about it. But it was when she came home on the last day of school, in tears,...

Keep Reading

In Praise of Career and Technical Schools

In: Living, Teen
Teen boy working at table saw

An open letter to our local career and technical school, as well as all of our students who attend them: As an educator for more than 20 years, I want to applaud our local CTIs for their role in preparing our students for their future careers. These schools are opening the doors of opportunity for students who would not excel in traditional educational settings. They’re educating our students based on individual learning styles and innate talents, and providing relevant and rigorous learning opportunities for our young adults who are not wired to sit in classrooms, listen to lectures, or learn...

Keep Reading

Full Circle Moments and Precious Memories

In: Grown Children, Living, Motherhood
Father and young daughter, old photo next to adult daughter in classroom, color photo

Parents often leave imprints on their children’s hearts. As a mom, I sometimes find myself wondering if this is true, but as a daughter, I know it to be true. This is because growing up, my dad left such a big imprint on my own heart. He imprinted the love of reading into my life when I was a young girl. He would read stories to me at bedtime every night until I could read them back to him. We would become immersed in each story, and I savored this bedtime ritual through the years. RELATED: It Doesn’t Matter How...

Keep Reading