Author Zach from Thisyunkyhouse / Published: Apr-20-2021

Motherhood has a revered place in my heart. I lost my mother in my early twenties to cancer. I was an only child on the cusp of becoming an adult, forced into independence, alone.And now, approaching thirty quicker than I’d like to admit, I know there won’t be another mother in my household with Hugh- not in the traditional sense, at least. What I’m able to bring to our home, and the family we hope to one day create, however, is everything my mother was able to teach me.

Growing up, home was always sacred space- even if I didn’t fully comprehend it yet at the time. My mom always found a way to imbue every single thing with a little bit of herself, and of us, whether it be from walls adorned with antique artwork, a rustic patio garden with overgrown-but-perfectly-curated plants, a kitchen window view with mismatched floral tiles, or a candle that reminds of a special time and place. It wasn’t until I moved into my first apartment, by myself, in a new city across the country, that I was able to fully appreciate those unique characteristics, those ever-elusive “what makes a house a home” traits we now scour interior design magazines searching for (hint: it’s not the word art sitting above someone’s toilet).For a lot of daughters, sisters, and fellow mothers, I assume the concept of motherhood is empowering-yet-frightening, something that many might strive towards, a journey in which they might one day join each other. For an only child who spent his preliminary years raised by a single mother, motherhood can’t really be contained by one word, because it’s quite literally everything: a parent, a teacher, a hero, an entire universe.

Mother’s Day has become more of a reflective holiday for me. A time for remembrance and a moment for thankfulness. To all of the mothers out there, you are a gift, and your children know it- even if they’re often too stubborn to admit it.

So from me, Hugh, and all of our furry and feathered family at thisyunkyhouse, thank you for everything that you do.