Honoring the Women Who Raised Us: Stories of Strength and Love
March is National Women's Month—a time to reflect on the achievements of women throughout our world. This year I want to localize that a bit more and celebrate the women closest to us that move in chain-breaking ways in our families and communities. They build the foundations we stand on and pour into those around them. In my life, I have been blessed with incredible women whose love runs deep, whose stories deserve to be passed down, and whose influence can be felt in every stitch of Baby Yams.
The Matriarchs Who Shaped Us
For many of us, our earliest memories of love and security come from the women who raised us. Their stories become the blueprint for how we care for others.
My own mother, Sonia, has always been a force of nature—fiercely loving, protective, and extremely intuitive. She was born in Panamá, and came to the United States with her mom and sisters in the late 1960’s. My grandmother, Estella, at that point a single mom, took the leap of faith and moved to a new country with the hope of finding security and safety. When I imagine my mother during that time, there’s one story that always sticks out.
She was a young teenager, and she was bullied by others because her English wasn’t great. A black girl, una Negra, who only spoke Spanish- she wasn’t accepted by the other kids at her school in Newark, New Jersey. It must have been such a difficult time for her. She used to lay in the bathtub in their small apartment, the only sanctuary in a cramped apartment with her sisters and Mom, to teach herself to read poetry written in English. That’s how she learned to speak English. One word, one poem at a time. That’s my mom in a nutshell. Tenacious, strong willed, brilliant, sensitive and full of aspiration.
She passed that on to her daughters. There’s never an idea or a hope that we have that she hasn’t supported with all her heart, prayers and hard work. In her eyes, we can do anything.
Passing Down Strength and Tradition
The lessons we inherit from the women before us aren’t always spoken aloud. Sometimes, they show up in the ways we move through the world, the foods we cook, the lullabies we sing, the quilts we pass down. Both my mother and my grandmother’s hands were never idle—always working, always creating, always building to pass on. In many ways, that’s what Baby Yams is all about- sharing something that stands the test of time with a purpose and belief that’s unshakeable.
When I prototyped the Joy and Peace blankets at the end of last year, I had to make new labels with those blessings on them. A product photo shoot was set, but the labels with those very important blessings came later than I planned for. I was afraid I’d have to use my older labels without the blessings because I had an acting job scheduled that I had to leave for. I didn’t know what to do and I had very little time to change anything. At that same time, my parents were coming to visit to help with the kids while I worked. When my mom heard my dilemma, she said, “give me the labels and the blankets. Ill sew them on. Don’t worry. They’ll be ready”. She hand-sewed them so beautifully that we were able to have the photos taken on time. And when the seamstresses in LA got the prototypes back with my mom’s hand-sewed labels, they produced all of the blankets the exact same way. It’s hand-stitched so beautifully. Now, our labels will always be sewn on in the way my mother did it.
A Legacy of Love for the Next Generation
Now, as a mother myself, I see my mother and grandmother’s ways in the way I raise my own children. I hear their voices in my words, feel their presence in the way I comfort, guide, protect, nurture and help them achieve their dreams. I see my babies with those same eyes. I believe in all of their hopes and dreams. These women taught me that love is active. The sunlight of their care is exactly what I want to pass down through Baby Yams.
March is National Women’s Month, but the truth is, we carry our matriarchs with us every day. We honor them in the way we love, the way we fight for what matters, and the way we build a better world for those coming after us.
To every woman raising, nurturing, and guiding those you love through good times and times of uncertainty—your love is felt, your strength holds up worlds, and your legacy will live on. Thank you for everything you’ve given us.
Join the Conversation
This month, I invite you to share your own stories—stories of the women who shaped you, whose love and resilience molded the person you are today. Tag Baby Yams and use #HonoringOurMatriarchs so we can celebrate them together.