SHINING LIGHT IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTHER'S DAY

Mother’s Day is a beautiful holiday where we gather to celebrate the moms and motherly figures in our lives. We thank them for the love, support, and care they’ve poured into us over the years. But what does Mother’s Day look like for the moms who live in the shadows—moms like so many of the women NightLight walks alongside?

What does Mother’s Day look like for the young woman who grew up without a loving mother in her home, or with a mother who was involved in her exploitation? What does it look like for the single mom struggling to make ends meet and forced to make impossible choices to provide for her family? What does it feel like for the woman who’s experienced the loss of her child, whether through the pain of lost custody, the regret of abortion, or the heartbreak of lost relationship? What about the mother who is far from her child, sacrificing to live and work overseas in order to send money home to provide?

For some, a celebration of motherhood painfully highlights what should have been but was not, or what has been lost, or perhaps what is currently an overwhelming struggle. For many of the women NightLight serves, motherhood is closely linked with the very vulnerabilities that have led to their exploitation. How do we carry light into these shadows?

In Bangkok, we create opportunities for mothers to provide for their children and families through our freedom business, NightLight Collection. As employees, women receive support that allows them to keep their children with them (not always common in Thailand), breaking generational cycles of absent mothers that can leave children vulnerable to exploitation. 

In our shelter for trafficked women, we work to restore and repatriate women who’ve been exploited in Bangkok—many of whom are mothers. Many of these women are desperate to return home to their children, and we have the joy of helping to reunite them, as well as equipping these women with skills that position them to better provide for their families upon return. (Just this month, we’re celebrating one mother returning home with her baby born in our care!)

In Missouri, we work closely with moms who are working hard to get back on their feet and provide for their children—walking alongside them with practical resources, supportive relationships, and care. We have the privilege of helping many of these women complete additional education, secure stable employment, work through their own pain and healing in counseling, and grow in their parenting. For those who struggle with grief or regret, we provide a safe place to be seen and loved, and reminders of the truth that they, too, are valued—and there is always light in the darkness.

Motherhood is not for the faint of heart. It takes grit and sacrifice. Moms deserve to be celebrated. But motherhood can also involve pain, loss, and brokenness. It can create vulnerabilities. It can include regrets. 

We rejoice that these things don’t have to be the end of the story! Hope, love, and healing can begin to light up the darkness, and every new day brings new opportunities for a struggling mom to move from floundering to flourishing.

Every day, NightLight serves women who’ve experienced trauma and exploitation in the commercial sex industry. We reach out to them where they are, offer rescue in the form of alternative options, and provide restoration programs that bring healing and long-term stability.

You can help us provide loving care for these women by considering a gift to NightLight today. Whether your gift is a one-time special gift or a monthly partnership, every gift matters—but today we invite you to consider a monthly partnership that enables our teams to budget strategically for long-term support of survivors. Much like motherhood, the work of restoration is a long road. But the impact? It lasts for generations.

A special note: For the mom who might be struggling today, we want you to know that we see you. In fact, we have a letter we’ve written just to you. To read it, click here.