

There is no one way to walk the journey to motherhood, and that part doesn't get talked about nearly enough. For many women, Mother's Day is a joyful time to honor the moms who raised us. But for others, it can bring up a quieter kind of grief: if you're trying to conceive, navigating infertility, mourning a pregnancy loss, or simply not a mom yet when you wish you were, this season can feel especially heavy.
So here's your gentle reminder: your experience is valid. And your womanhood is whole, even now. Instead of sitting in that ache this weekend, why not pour a little love back into yourself? Below are seven beautiful, empowering ways to celebrate you this Mother's Day weekend—no matter where you are in life’s journey.
FatCamera/Getty Images
Freeze Your Eggs (Literally—or Just Make the Appointment)
Whether you’re actively planning for the future or simply want options, taking control of your reproductive journey through egg freezing is an act of self-love. Book a consultation, start the research, or even just give yourself permission to explore your choices without pressure. Your path is yours, and honoring that is worth celebrating.
bymuratdeniz/Getty Images
Write a Love Letter to Your Body
Your body has carried you through every high and low, including the complicated feelings around fertility, waiting, or loss. This weekend, honor her. Write a letter thanking her for what she’s done and is still doing. Then pamper her with whatever she needs: a massage, a long nap, or a solo dance party.
Guido Mieth/Getty Images
Plant Something With Meaning
Start a little plant or herb garden and dedicate it to growth in all its forms—yours, your dreams, your healing. Watching something grow under your care, especially something you plant with intention, can be deeply therapeutic and symbolic. It’s not about waiting, it's about nurturing.
South_agency/Getty Images
Curate a “Someday” Keepsake Box
Fill a box or journal with things you might one day share: a note to your future child, a favorite book, family recipes, photos, or affirmations. If you're the creative type, turn it into a junk journal—a scrapbook-style memory book where you can freely collage, write, and collect tiny, meaningful things over time. Even if motherhood never arrives the way you expected, this ritual says: my love is real, and it’s already here.
FreshSplash/Getty Images
Host a “Chosen Family” Brunch
Maybe missing your own mom is making Mother’s Day particularly triggering. Remedy this by gathering your girls, aunties, cousins, or anyone who’s poured into you like a mother would.
Celebrate the non-traditional bonds that shape and hold you. Light a candle for the mothers you’ve lost, honor the women who’ve mothered you in other ways, and allow yourself to feel loved, seen, and surrounded.
Don’t have community, but longing for one? There are organizations created specifically for Black women by Black women that host dinner parties and curated gatherings, so take some time this weekend to sign up for one. Brown Girl Brunch, Black Girls Wine Society, and The Sip By Black Girls Social Club are just a few.
pixdeluxe/Getty Images
Take a “Sacred Solo” Day Trip
Pick a destination that brings you peace—a beach, a trail, a small-town bookstore—and go alone. Let this be your day of joy, stillness, and spiritual reset. Bring a playlist that lifts your spirit, a journal to unload your thoughts, or just yourself. Sometimes the most radical act of celebration is presence.
Caia Image/Getty Images
Do The Thing
You know the thing. That hair color you’ve had saved on Pinterest for years. That silent meditation retreat, wine-tasting tour in Portugal, or even just that spontaneous weekend in a hotel with fluffy robes and room service.
There are some things—big or small—that are easier to do now than when you have a little one in tow. So give yourself permission to live your life out loud while it’s still yours alone. Celebrate this season not as a holding pattern, but as a launchpad.
—
Whatever your journey looks like, remember: you are worthy of celebration, just as you are. This weekend, make space for joy, softness, and deep self-recognition. Because motherhood isn’t the only thing that makes you powerful. You already are.
The Mother Load
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by LeoPatrizi/Getty Images
Jazmine A. Ortiz is a creative born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn and currently living in Staten Island, NY. She started in the entertainment industry in 2012 and now works as a Lifestyle Editor where she explores everything from mental health to vegan foodie trends. For more on what she's doing in the digital space follow her on Instagram at @liddle_bitt.
Devale Ellis On Being A Provider, Marriage Growth & Redefining Fatherhood
In this candid episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Devale Ellis, actor, social media personality, and star of Zatima, about modern masculinity, learning to be a better husband, emotional presence in marriage, fatherhood for Black men, and leading by example.
“I Wasn’t Present Emotionally”: Devale Ellis on Marriage Growth
Devale Ellis On Learning He Was a ‘Bad Husband’
Ellis grew up believing that a man should prioritize providing for his family. “I know this may come off as misogynistic, but I feel like it’s my responsibility as a man to pay for everything,” he said, emphasizing the wise guidance passed down by his father. However, five years into his marriage to long-time partner Khadeen Ellis, he realized provision wasn’t just financial.
“I was a bad husband because I wasn’t present emotionally… I wasn’t concerned about what she needed outside of the resources.”
Once he shifted his mindset, his marriage improved. “In me trying to be of service to her, I learned that me being of service created a woman who is now willing to be of service to me.”
On Redefining Masculinity and Fatherhood
For Ellis, “being a man is about being consistent.” As a father of four, he sees parenthood as a chance to reshape the future.
“Children give you another chance at life. I have four different opportunities right now to do my life all over again.”
He also works to uplift young Black men, reinforcing their worth in a world that often undermines them. His values extend to his career—Ellis refuses to play roles that involve domestic violence or sexual assault.
On Marriage, Family Planning, and Writing His Story
After his wife’s postpartum preeclampsia, Ellis chose a vasectomy over her taking hormonal birth control, further proving his commitment to their partnership. He and Khadeen share their journey in We Over Me, and his next book, Raising Kings: How Fatherhood Saved Me From Myself, is on the way.
Through honesty and growth, Devale Ellis challenges traditional ideas of masculinity, making his story one that resonates deeply with millennial women.
For the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker peels back the layers of masculinity with candid conversations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate vulnerability. Real men. Real stories. Real talk.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by YouTube/xoNecole
Tisha Campbell Shares Why She Got A Mommy Makeover & And We’re Here For The Transparency
Tisha Campbell is still here. Here. Here. Here. (If you know, you know.) The 56-year-old actress and singer is living her life loudly and without apology, all while keeping it real about the work she's had done.
While gracing the 2025 BET Awards red carpet last week, the My Wife & Kids alum let it be known that she has nothing to hide as she revealed to Entertainment Tonight that she recently had a mommy makeover. "I had extra skin from the baby and a little bit of droppage here and a little bit of droppage there," she shared with the outlet as an exclusive. "They tighten me together."
The mother of two shared that changing her body wasn't about anyone else; it was first and foremost about pleasing herself. "I'm a single mom, not ready for dating," she added. "But I just wanted to feel good for me."
Why Tisha Campbell Chose to Share About Her Plastic Surgery
Tisha isn't new to keeping it a buck and has always been transparent about subjects that others might shy away from, whether it's about her decision to walk away from the show that put her on the map as an actor or her decision to walk away from a 22-year marriage to ex-husband Duane Martin. Cosmetic surgery is simply another topic for the Tisha to be open about.
Even in a post-BBL era, cosmetic procedures are something that is still taboo to talk about, especially among women in Hollywood who have spent decades in the public eye, like Tisha. The self-proclaimed "open book" shared her why behind disclosing her surgery:
"I just think it's more important for people to know why one does it. If you wanna feel good about you. And I just wanted to be honest about it," she told ET. "I think it's more important, to be honest, to know that you know I didn't all this by myself. It's nice to be a little bit more snatched around that area."
Tisha Campbell is serving confidence and honesty about her mommy makeover 👶✨ #BETAwards #tishacampbell #kyliejenner #mommymakeover
So, What Is a Mommy Makeover?
For those who are unfamiliar, a "mommy makeover" refers to a combination of cosmetic procedures and can differ for every woman depending on her personal goals. While the overarching intention of a mommy makeover is often to "restore" their bodies to their "pre-baby" status, the procedures are customizable and ultimately based on what feels good to her personally.
This might look like a tummy tuck or liposuction, a breast lift, reduction, or augmentation, a labiaplasty, or any other nips and tucks that support how they feel in their bodies after giving birth.
What stood out in Tisha's clip wasn't just her transparency in action, but also the intention behind her decision to have surgery. She waited until her sons Xen, 23, and Ezekiel,15, were older to have her procedure and made it clear that she centered herself in her choice. In her new season life, this is how she is honoring herself.
"For me. It's not for everybody, it's for me."
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Rob Latour/Shutterstock