Mother’s Day Picnic 2023!

In light of the mission of In My Shoes, it is only fitting that an annual Mother’s Day Picnic is held to honor and celebrate the beautiful women of the house in their monumental role as mothers. This year, on May 6th, the In My Shoes community gathered together for a day filled with blessings; planned and organized by staff, the event kept both mothers and children entertained with food, music, games, photos, crafts, and even a special surprise for the alumni moms. 

The presence of the alumni moms and their children at events such as these is very important because it so clearly expresses the ongoing community that In My Shoes offers, and the hospitality which extends beyond their stay. In addition to this, those alumni moms are a real source of inspiration to the current moms at In My Shoes. As one of the Core Team members put it, “I think it’s really cool for the current moms to see alumni moms…they were also once staying in the same bed as them and they’re doing okay, and they managed to get back on their feet and their kids are doing great.”

 In fact, the abundance of kids at the picnic was a highlight of the day for many. Watching three to four year olds who spent their infant days within our home talk and play with each other was a gift. One staff member, filled with joy at the sight, remembers turning to her friend and saying, “I think this is what Heaven looks like.” A true celebration of motherhood and the gift of children, the day also became an unconscious celebration of the gift of community and the power that a home can hold. An alumnae mom was heard telling her young daughter, “You know, this is your home. This is where you grew up.” 

Each one of these mothers made an incredibly brave choice in coming to live at In My Shoes and in giving their hearts so fully to their vocation as mothers; this picnic was a chance to remind them of that, to praise them for that, and to foster in them an even greater understanding of the dignity of motherhood. In order to memorialize the day, a lovely photo backdrop was set up to capture pictures of the moms and their babies. Small moments such as these piled up to make the day a truly beautiful experience. 

A big highlight was the surprise opening of the Alumnae Moms Store, a donation shop. Since In My Shoes often receives donations of clothes or items that are for an age older than babies present in the home, one of our volunteers decided to plan a store which would gather all these items and lay them out for the alumnae moms to come back and shop for. The project thoughtfully aids that continuation of community so central to In My Shoes by giving these moms another reason to return to the home. 

In writing this piece, I wanted not only to reflect on the Mother’s Day Picnic in itself, but also on the most important feature of the day: the moms and their experience of motherhood. Through conversations with them, the impact and gift of motherhood became abundantly clear to me, often in ways I had never considered before. One mom said that her favorite aspect of motherhood is, “being able to love someone unconditionally.” How often in life do we encounter unconditional love? How often do we ourselves love others unconditionally? Her words are a beautiful witness to the power of motherhood. The moms also expressed a sincere gratitude for the framework which In My Shoes provides and noted an immediate difference in the culture compared to other transitional housing. As one mom put it, “they see us as moms first and they expect greatness from us; they don’t see us as our next mistake.” Another mom spoke similarly of the way in which In My Shoes places motherhood first, saying, “This is my time to heal; heal my body, my mind, my soul and just be a mom. That’s all I have to worry about.”

Written By,

Margaret Jennings