What if mothering had nothing to do with being a mom and everything to do with how we show up for others with love, empathy, and presence?
In this tender solo reflection, Heather Hester shares the emotional layers behind her daughter’s college graduation not just as a parent but as a human navigating grief, transition, and healing. This milestone becomes a mirror for a deeper truth: that mothering is not a role reserved for women or parents it's a universal practice of care, practiced by anyone who holds space, offers comfort, and chooses presence in a world that often rushes past what matters.
You’ll learn how mothering can show up in ways we rarely name in friendships, in allyship, in advocacy for LGBTQ+ youth, and in the everyday tenderness of letting go. Heather invites us to embrace our identity as caregivers and connectors, no matter our gender or title, and reminds us that love is leadership and it doesn’t have to be loud to be radical.
Press play to reflect on the people who have mothered you and the gentle ways you may already be mothering others, yourself, and even a mission bigger than you. This episode is a quiet permission slip to honor your compassionate strength, your parenting path (or not), and your place in the inclusive, healing work of love.
Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!
Listen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!
At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.
If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.
Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in—I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.
More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast and space where a mom and mental health advocate offers guidance on parenting with empathy, inclusion, and open-minded allyship, fostering growth, healing, and empowerment within the LGBTQ community—including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals—while addressing grief, boundaries, education, diversity, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, social justice, and the power of human kindness through a lens of ally support and community engagement.
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Hi friends, and welcome to the Friday edition of More Human, More Kind.
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Beyond the Breath as we move through the month of May, a month that holds both Mother's Day and, for many of us, seasons of transition, I wanted to spend these next few Fridays reflecting on the concept of mothering, not just in the traditional sense, but in its broader, deeper, more universal form.
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Today we begin with the heart of mothering.
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What it means, why it matters, and how it shows up in unexpected, breathtaking, and sometimes bittersweet ways.
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This past weekend, my daughter Isabel graduated from college, and even as I say those words, my heart catches in my throat.
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These four years have been a time of such incredible growth for her, of expanding her capacity to hold so many truths at once, to learn and to move outside of her comfort zone.
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And all of the beautiful things that happen within those four years of college graduation is one of those milestones that feels both monumental and surreal.
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There's pride, of course.
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So, so much pride and a deep, aching love.
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But there's also this quiet grief, a letting go, a chapter closing.
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People don't talk about this one as much.
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It's hard, so let yourself have that.
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I found myself revisiting memories lately.
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Her first steps, a tiny little backpack on the first day of kindergarten, the countless late night conversations, the sound of her laughter and strong opinions echoing throughout our house.
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There are also the difficult moments tucked in there.
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The struggles, the tears, the intense anxiety and uncertainty.
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Remember, living fully.
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Being a human is messy.
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Mothering in this moment feels like holding a thousand memories in one hand and a beautiful unknown in the other.
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It is, as my friend and mentor Kelly Lubeck says, holding the tension of opposites.
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The big and As I reflect on Isabel's graduation and Mother's Day, I've been thinking about how we define mothering.
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We often associate mothering with biology or caregiving.
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But it is so, so much more than that.
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Mothering is the act of nurturing life, and another, the choice to witness, guide and love without control.
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A practice of presence, patience and faith.
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Fierce tenderness.
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You don't have to have children to mother.
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You don't even have to identify as a woman.
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To mother, mothering is a human capacity, a way of being in the world with care.
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It shows up when a teacher believes in a student no one else sees.
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When a friend drops off soup on your doorstep during a hard week, when someone holds your truth without flinching.
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Mothering is expansive.
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It is bold, and it often goes unseen.
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I believe mothering is one of the most powerful forms of love.
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It is active, intentional, and generative.
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But it can also be invisible.
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So many acts of mothering happen in the quiet corners of the world.
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They don't make headlines.
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They don't go viral.
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They don't capture the media's attention because they are splashy or outrageous or far fetched.
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They look like holding space, being patient, showing up, staying up.
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They look like choosing love again and again, even when it's messy, complicated, or inconvenient.
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And they look like letting go when the time comes.
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That, perhaps is the hardest and most sacred act of mothering.
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The release, the trust, the belief that what you've nurtured is strong enough to grow in the wild.
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So today, I want to invite you to pause and reflect.
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Who has mothered you in your life, perhaps unexpectedly?
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And what ways have you mothered?
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Whether it's people, ideas, communities, even yourself, what parts of your life are asking for a little more nurturing right now?
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These are questions worth returning to, especially during seasons of transition and celebration.
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Mothering is not a title, it's a practice.
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One that is deeply human and deeply kind.
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So wherever and however you mother, thank you.
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You are part of something ancient and sacred.
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And to Isabelle, if you ever listen to this, my love for you is infinite.
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Watching you become the person you are has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
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Until next time, friends.
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Take a deep breath.
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Hold yourself gently and remember the way you love shapes the world.
